The Amnesiac
by le candyknights
Summary: AU Three months ago, Riku was diagnosed with amnesia after a dreadful accident gave her a major head injury. Now, with the help of an amethyst-eyed officer, she is able to see her new and empty life in a better light; happier, brighter. But what secrets encircle her shrouded past? Was her accident really an accident?
1. Her First Glimpse of Purple

Chapter 1: Her First Glimpse of Purple

* * *

"All right then, Miss Riku, I'll see you again next month," the middle-aged male doctor smiled at the auburn-haired woman who sat across from him.

Riku returned the smile and thanked him. Once she was outside the hospital, she let out a breath of air and watched the white smoke dissipate into thin air. The weather was chilly, and she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck as she, once again, thought about her current predicament (which she often did).

She had been living life as she knew it for three months. Three months ago, she had apparently been part of a hit-and-run car accident, resulting in her current state of amnesia. When the doctors prompted her for a name, all she could recall was "Riku," and so Riku she was called.

The multiple tests that the doctors ran showed her to be about twenty-three years of age, but no finger prints or blood tests could reveal her identity. She had no identifiable data in the country of Japan, which befuddled everyone because she could speak fluent Japanese and obviously looked the part.

Who was she? What was her life like? How did she end up in Japan, if there were no records of her being born here or living here for that matter?

After it was determined that Riku had no where to return to, the authorities gave her a modest apartment to live in for the time being, and encouraged her to find a means of supporting herself. Riku thus found a small boutique around the corner of her apartment complex, and had been working there ever since. The only condition that the authorities had was for Riku to visit the hospital for a monthly check-up.

She checked her wristwatch and quickened her pace. Mio, her employer, did not tolerate tardiness. The hospital was only about a block from where she lived, but Riku didn't want to get on Mio's bad side. She had seen previous employees face the feisty woman's wrath, and did not fancy being under the blonde's intense scrutiny.

Just past this corner and she was almost there—

She collided with a harried young man who was out of breath and who appeared to be running from someone…

And who was tightly gripping a pink purse that was obviously not his.

After rubbing her throbbing forehead that had bumped into the man's shoulder, she locked eye contact with him. He looked anxious, with droopy brown eyes and nondescript black hair. He had a bit of stubble growing out of his chin, and Riku saw his Adam's apple move as the man swallowed loudly, fumbled into his pocket, and pulled out a pocket knife.

Riku saw the man try to reach out and grab her, and she knew that he was trying to use her as a hostage against whoever he was running from. Narrowing her eyes, she was about to hit the man when another in a dark police uniform crashed into the purse thief.

Riku could only stare as the purple-haired officer expertly twisted the thief's arms behind his back while extracting the purse at the same time. She heard the man's hands being cuffed, then watched as the tall officer whipped out a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.

"Target is caught on the corner of Yukiru and Sugisaki," the man spoke gruffly and seemed to be in a bad mood.

"Roger that, back-up will arrive shortly!" the answer sounded out-of-breath and slightly apologetic, but Riku couldn't be sure because the static was making the sound incomprehensibly fuzzy.

The purple-haired—and purpled-_eyed_, Riku noticed—man sighed and tightened his grip on the handcuffs of the thief. After a second or two, he realized that he had an audience. He was about to tell the crowd around him that there was nothing to see when he saw that there was a girl with hair not unlike a candy apple standing closer than the others, holding her head.

He looked from her to the black-haired man he currently held in his grip, then back to her. And gave her a once-over.

Riku almost blushed when she realized that the handsome—yes, she would admit that much—officer was checking her out, and was about to stomp away when he asked her if she was all right.

She was about to answer, but then his violet eyes were staring into her own, and she couldn't find her voice. The way his eyes brought out his hair—no, the way his hair brought out his eyes—no no, that wasn't quite right either… His face was so unbelievably attractive, bordering on _hot_ if Riku dared think it, that she could feel her face heat up.

Fortunately for her, a police car promptly drove up to the curb that they were standing near and three other officers were running up to the amethyst-eyed beauty.

Riku blushed furiously as she realized the direction of her thoughts, and turned to walk away in the midst of all the commotion that the incoming officers were making. She heard multiple apologies being uttered and even heard "incompetence" before she caught a glimpse of her watch—

—and broke out into a run.

Mio was not going to be happy.

* * *

"—so then I quickly ran here when I realized how late it was getting. I'm sorry!" Riku clapped her hands in front of her and bowed to the irritated woman in front of her, whose hands were crossed and foot was tapping quickly.

The sunshine colored, short-haired woman narrowed her eyes at her apologetic employee, before sighing and turning to go back to the cash register. "'Tis fine, just don't let it happen again."

Riku went to store her small bag into the hidden backroom, and returned to see Mio staring at her speculatively. The blonde was sitting on a stool with one leg crossed over the other, her stylish boots pointed in such a way that Riku believed Mio should have been in a fashion magazine instead. Her employer was always dressed to impress, and today was no different. Her low-cut sweater hugged her curves nicely, and her layered skirt stopped just above her knee to reveal pale, toned legs that only accentuated her boots more.

Riku liked to think that perhaps Mio Hio's style had rubbed off on herself, even just a little bit, but before she could contemplate her own attire, Mio spoke.

"You said you ran into some police officers…"

Riku waited for more, but Mio only turned to face the shop front with a "nevermind." Unperturbed, Riku set about her daily tasks, which included dusting the mannequins placed strategically around the store wearing the latest fashions. Her thoughts drifted back to a mysterious amethyst-eyed man.

"Mio, have you ever seen someone with purple hair and eyes?" There was a pause, then a loud bang as Mio's stool hit the ground and suddenly Riku found herself with a face full of blonde hair and intense brown eyes.

"You met him, didn't you," Mio's tone was was flat and accusing, and her eyes narrowed again.

Riku could only look at her in confusion. "Met who?"

"Dark!"

"Dark? No, it's quite bright in here…"

"Dark _Mousy_! The purple-haired officer!" Mio exclaimed exasperatedly.

Riku blinked. "Yes, I saw a purple-haired—and purple-_eyed_—officer. His name is _Dark_? As in, the opposite of light?"

"You don't know his name?" Mio asked, confused. She thought it odd that the flirty playboy had not introduced himself to her.

"Well, I didn't really _meet_ him," Riku defended herself. She didn't know why she had to apologize for not knowing his name, but Mio's inquiries made her feel like she was to blame for the man's lack of greeting. "He was the officer who apprehended the thief, and I just happened to be the person that bumped into the man."

"But you're pretty. You're telling me he didn't immediately jump your—"

"Mio!"

"Wait, he's not supposed to be in the field, what is he doing…" she trailed off, muttering to herself.

Riku would have asked more questions, but she felt momentarily flattered that Fashionista Mio had called her _pretty_.

After a few more seconds of Mio's mutterings, a snap brought Riku's attention back to her employer.

"All right! You must attend my annual Christmas party next week!"

Riku frowned. "But I already told you that I don't want to go."

"Why?"

The caramel-haired woman sighed. "As I have told you already, going to parties and having to socialize with multiple people does not appeal to me—"

"Nonsense!"

"—and I would much rather be comfortable in my own home. I know you can give me that much respect at least, right, Mio?" Riku's look had turned pleading, and Mio looked into her employee's—and friend's—chocolate eyes.

The flamboyant woman knew that Riku had no memory of her past, and understood her introvert character. She had often found the girl reading a book behind the cash register when days were slow, and never saw her laughing boisterously with friends. Belatedly, Mio realized that Riku hadn't bothered making any friends, except possibly the old cat lady that lived right next to her apartment.

Mio didn't want to push her friend into unknown waters, outside of her comfort zone. She felt really sympathetic, and knew that despite Riku's smiles, the poor girl was probably scared about not knowing her own identity.

But she also knew that Riku needed to meet other people, and Mio knew just who. Her own circle of friends had been with her since forever, and she knew that she could trust them to welcome her lonely worker.

"I know," Mio started, "that you aren't a social butterfly. I know that you prefer to remain in your solitary home, curled up on your sofa no doubt, reading a classic book written by Charles Dickens or—"

"He's actually quite dry for my tastes, but I get your point," Riku responded with a small smile on her lips.

Mio returned the smile. "I know all of that. But you also need people around you, Riku. Perhaps not a whole lot, but some friends you can depend on."

"I can depend on you just fine, Mio, as you provide me with a paycheck every two weeks."

Mio swatted Riku's arm. "Not that kind of depend. I mean friends that you can rely on to tell your troubles to, to lean on when you need some support, to maybe spend some quality time with."

"I have you," Riku pointed out.

"I mean," Mio could have pulled her hair out, "_more_ than just me, Riku. I'll admit, I am a great friend and an even better employer, but I think you need to wiggle out of your comfort zone and meet other people like me. Who knows, you might really like them."

Riku gave a small laugh. "People like you? I'm sure just one of you is enough for me."

Mio could have hit her friend again for her jest, but decided to put on more airs for the sake of comic relief. "Yes, I am one of a kind." She flipped her short locks for emphasis. But then she returned to the matter at hand. "Please, Riku? Just go to my Christmas party and meet some of my friends and family. I guarantee that they won't bite, and that they are _suuuper_ nice." She didn't elaborate on the double-meaning of _nice_.

Riku sighed. "Fine, but only because you're Mio."

Mio cheered. "Lovely! It's semiformal, so dress nicely!" She hummed a Christmas tune on her way back to the cash register, and began to plan the next step of her matchmaking.

So Riku saw Dark, and then Riku asked about Dark. There was definite interest in there somewhere. And Dark needed a smart girl like Riku—not those bimbos that he usually played with. They would be wonderful together, and all they needed was a push in the right direction.

Of course… the flaw in her plan was that Dark hadn't introduced himself when he first saw Riku. Maybe he didn't find her appealing enough? Mio glanced at the candy apple-bobbed hair walking through clothing racks. No, she knew that her employee had an attractive face, and her intelligent innocence was enough to lure in even the baddest of bad-boys.

But then again, perhaps Riku had only been asking about Dark because purple hair was an anomaly?

There were a lot of unknown variables in Mio's matchmaking plan, and it probably wouldn't end in success.

… Oh well, it wouldn't hurt to try.

* * *

Riku fidgeted in her black dress. Its soft fabric clung to her skin comfortably, but still clung to her skin, which Riku was not at all comfortable with. Mio (the mastermind who chose her dress, of course) had assured her that she looked beautiful in it, with its boat neck collar revealing Riku's long neck and attractive clavicles. And despite the fact that the dress covered enough of her body—it had long sleeves and ended just a little bit above her knees—Riku couldn't help but feel completely exposed. It must have been its clinginess.

Mio's party was held in her spacious condo, and Riku had to admire the subtle yet classy decorations that Mio had set up. There were a few candles lit around the rooms, and the overhead lights were dimmed just a bit to create ambiance. Mio had scented her home with some cinnamon spice, and placed smartly around the condo were Christmas flowers. Riku could spot poinsettia, holly, and ivy decorating the rooms and adding to the festive look.

She currently stood with a wine glass in hand, trying to listen to the man with ice blue hair drone on about colors and contours when painting. She had arrived at Mio's earlier than the start of the party in order to get ready, and as guests steadily trickled in, Mio had made sure that Riku was introduced to everyone.

She had met a lovey-dovey couple named Emiko and Kosuke; a woman named Towa so similar to Mio that she had to doubt Mio's "one-of-a-kind" comment; an old man who was treated like everyone's grandfather (but he wasn't really); Mio's cousin—Freedert—and her husband, Elliot; and Daisuke Niwa and Satoshi Hikari, artists that were _together_.

Daisuke had been overly enthusiastic to meet Riku, and talked nonstop. It was only after his calmer counterpart—after seeing Riku's unease at the redhead's energy—suggested that perhaps Daisuke should help Mio in the kitchen did Riku breath a sigh of relief at the slightly quieter room.

Except now she was subject to the stoic blue-haired man's lecture about the details of his occupation. Riku supposed she had no one to blame but herself, for she had asked about what he and Daisuke did, but she regretted ever opening up the flood gates that were large vocabulary words currently spilling out of Satoshi's mouth.

She could only nod and intelligently reply "uh-huh" to him.

She was saved when the doorbell rang, and she was the closest one to the door.

"I'll get it!" she quickly called out, before politely excusing herself from the apparent genius talking to her and moving to unlock the door. She put on a smile and was about to greet the newcomer when her breath caught in her throat as she saw purple.

Purple hair. Purple eyes.

A black suit with a white collar shirt underneath.

_Hubba hubba_.

* * *

Surprise. Hope that wasn't too cliché.

Feel free to point out any mistakes for me; I would love to learn how to write better! Constructive criticism is entirely welcome.

I know I mentioned Charles Dickens, and I don't know if that's a classic over yonder in Japan, but you get my drift… right? Riku's the bookwormy type.

I never quite understood the reasons for disclaimers; isn't it obvious that (most) characters in fanfictions aren't the writer's own? Anyway, here's probably the (only) disclaimer I'll have throughout the duration of this story: I don't own DN Angel; its wonderful and creative storyline and characters belong to the ingenious Yukiru Sugisaki. I also did not make up Charles Dickens, nor do I own him (oh dear).

Did anyone catch my incredibly stealthy Yukiru Sugisaki allusion? :3

Thank you for reading, and it would be an added bonus for me if you left me a review!

Rika


	2. Her First Kiss

Chapter 2: Her First Kiss (?)

* * *

She was glad she had not said her thoughts aloud, because she would have sounded like a complete airhead. Fortunately for her, she only felt her face heat up before she hastily stepped back from the door to allow him entrance.

He looked at the blushing auburn-haired woman for a few seconds before stepping into the foyer and removing his shoes. Riku awkwardly closed the door behind him and was wondering whether the officer remembered her when he suddenly introduced himself.

"I'm Dark Mousy," he held out a hand, "and do you believe in love at first sight, or should I knock again?"

Disbelieving, Riku looked from his hand to his face. He wore an amused smile, and Riku couldn't help but want to wipe the grin off his face.

Not knowing how to handle this obviously corny pick-up line, she said the first thing to come to mind. "It's not the first time we've met."

Dark's smile widened. "So you remember! Good, I was afraid I was the only one that did."

Riku still did not know how to answer him, and they stood there for a few awkward seconds until she realized that his hand was still outstretched.

Hesitatingly, she took it and gave a little shake before quickly retrieving her hand.

Dark noticed her timidity. "You're—"

"Dark!" Mio clapped her hands together when she saw that her star guest had arrived. "You're here! Wonderful, now where is—" She saw Riku blushing furiously next to Dark as she got closer to the foyer, and a knowing smile grew steadily wider as her eyes twinkled.

"Dark, why don't you tell my dear Riku what it is that you do for a living? She saw you the other day, you know," Mio wagged her fingers playfully at them. "Get to know each other. Dinner will be ready soon!" She twirled on her heel and headed back to the kitchen.

Silence settled between the two as Riku struggled to find somewhere to look at that wasn't purple and Dark watched the shy mouse with humor.

Realizing that she had been having a conversation with Satoshi, she looked around for her salvation from this intimidating male only to see that he had joined his partner in the dining room.

Resigned, she looked back at the attractive specimen standing next to her and bit her lip.

"S-So… you work in law enforcement?" she stammered, anything to break the awkwardness of her situation.

Dark grinned. "Something like that." He gave her once-over and complimented her appearance. "You look nice."

Riku didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted that he had looked her over like a piece of meat. She crossed her arms self-consciously.

"Thanks…"

"And what do you do?"

"What?" She didn't mean to sound unintelligent, but she honestly did not get his question. What did he mean, what did she do? Was she supposed to have some special talent, like a monkey on a unicycle?

"Your job, what you do for a living," he elaborated. His face paled as a thought struck him. "Unless you're still a student." And much too young and therefore off-limits to him.

"N-No," Riku demurred, "I'm not a student." That she knew of, anyway. "I work at Mio's Boutique."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. He continued to look at her face, and Riku felt herself heating up again. Dark's hand came up as if to touch her hair. "Your hair is beautiful. Is it dyed? I've never seen anything quite like it."

Riku narrowed her eyes and swatted his hand away from her face. "No, it's not dyed. It's natural, unlike yours."

Dark placed a hand over his—finely toned—chest. "My hair color is as natural as yours."

Riku had to believe him. His eyes were a captivating shade of violet, and his hair—although eccentric—looked unbleached and also unbelievably soft. Riku had to withhold the urge to touch him to find out if his hair was softer than her own.

They were interrupted in their playful bantering by Mio's cheerful voice, singing out to them that dinner was ready. As they made their way to the dining room, Riku snuck a glance at the man beside her and admired his profile.

* * *

Dinner was a joyous affair, and Riku was happy to be in such company. Everyone was very friendly to her, and tried to include her in their conversations. If she was clueless to their jokes, they were only overjoyed to fill her in on the embarrassing moments of their friends.

Riku learned that Emiko and Kosuke were Daisuke's parents, and had taken care of Mio like a daughter when they learned that she was on her own here in Japan. Freedert—Mio's sister—and Elliot were from Germany, and had moved to Japan five years ago because of Mio's extravagant praises of the land. Daiki, the elderly man, was Emiko's father, and seemed like everyone's grandfather because of his kindness and good-humor. Towa was also a close family friend, and had gotten close to Mio due to their similar personalities. Daisuke met Satoshi at Tenshi University, and it was a hilarious anecdote for everyone when they retold the redhead's awkward acceptance that he was a homosexual.

Dark and Mio had gone out briefly in college until they realized that their relationship was more familial, and by then he had already been welcomed into this extended family.

Riku did feel a little left out, though, for she clearly did not belong in this close-knit gathering. She had thought that Mio's Christmas party was going to be filled with dozens of friends of friends of friends, but she was wrong. She didn't have to worry about anybody asking her about _her_ past, though, since they seemed content to talk about themselves.

Not that she was complaining.

After dinner, Riku volunteered to do the dishes, despite Mio's protests. Up to her elbows in soap suds, she suddenly realized that she was not alone. Dark had come up next to her.

"I'll help rinse," he nodded to her scrubbing.

"Okay," Riku agreed, not finding any reason to refuse.

They worked silently side-by-side for awhile, and when they were done, Riku dried her hands on a cloth. As they were leaving the kitchen, Dark began, "So your name is Riku."

"Mhmm," Riku answered absentmindedly as she looked towards where the rest of the guests were gathered in the living room.

"Riku…" Dark trailed off, prompting her.

She paused and looked at him. "Just Riku."

"No surname?" he half-joked.

"Not that I know of," she answered back, not liking where this was headed.

Dark looked confused. "So you grew up your whole life without a surname?"

Riku fidgeted. She should have known someone would eventually ask her about herself. "I don't know," she replied, trying to look anywhere but at him.

"You don't know—"

"Dark."

They looked towards the living room, and noticed that everyone had gone quiet. Mio stood closest to them, and was giving Dark a meaningful look.

"Would you like to sing us a song with your guitar? It's in your car, right?" Mio held out her hand to him. "Come on, I'll go with you to get it." She shot Riku a smile. "Daisuke and Satoshi have more to tell you about their _exciting_ occupation."

As Mio and Dark headed out the front door to his car, Riku ambled into the room and found herself under everyone's gazes. Finally, Emiko stood up and clapped her hands.

"Who's up for some Monopoly Deal?"

* * *

Mio and Dark walked sedately, taking in the cool winter air around them. Mio let out a breath and watched as the white fog dissipated.

"Riku has amnesia."

Dark faltered in his steps before continuing. "Since when?"

"For three months."

Silence settled over them again, and Mio let the information sink in.

"No one bothered to tell me?" Dark semi-accused. He was trying to keep the atmosphere light, but both knew the severity of the topic.

"Sorry," Mio muttered. "I told everyone else prior to today, but forgot to tell you because…"

"Because you were too busy trying to play matchmaker?" Dark raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled sheepishly. "You have to admit, Riku's cute, right?"

Dark chuckled. "Mio, Mio, Mio. You know I don't need help getting girls."

"You need help getting the right kind of girls."

Dark defended his ego. "There's nothing wrong with the girls I date."

Mio shot him a dry look and held up her fingers, ready to list off names.

"Okay, okay, back to the topic on hand," Dark interrupted. They had arrived at his car, and he popped open his trunk as he retrieved his guitar. Mio didn't say anything until they made their way back to her condo.

"So everyone was super nice to Riku because you asked them to be?"

"Sort of. I told them about her," Mio gestured with her hands, "predicament, and—you know Emiko and Kosuke—they understood right away." She shot Dark a quick look. "Does her having amnesia bother you or something?"

"Of course not," he reassured her. "I was just surprised that no one told me of something so important."

Mio apologized again as she opened her front door—

—only to be assaulted with boisterous shouting.

"You can't say no to my Just Say No!" Emiko slammed her palm down onto the table.

"On the contrary, I can," Satoshi replied evenly.

Everyone else was laughing, and Daisuke had pulled out the rule sheet.

"Sorry, Mom, Satoshi is right," Daisuke said apologetically.

Emiko huffed and crossed her hands.

"I believe," Satoshi said smugly as he retrieved Emiko's cards from the pile in front of her, "that I just won."

Indeed he had. Emiko was glaring at Satoshi in contempt as Towa and Riku put the cards back into the box.

"Well, that was exciting!" Mio exclaimed as she and Dark removed their coats. "Now, Dark can sing us a song!"

"Thank you for volunteering me," Dark murmured sarcastically. Mio grinned and pushed him to sit under the open doorway that led to the dining room.

Adjusting his guitar so that it was situated comfortably on his lap, his fingers grazed a few strings so that a gentle melody began to play. He cleared his throat, "This song is a few lines long…"

Riku listened as he sang, enraptured in his mellow voice. The song sounded self-composed, and wasn't about anything in particular. Looking around the room, she saw that everybody else had small smiles on their faces as well. She returned her gaze to the purple-haired man and admired his talent. She could get used to this kind of guy in her new life…

As Dark finished the last line to his melody, he slowly opened his eyes and settled them on Riku. Seeing her dazed expression, he smirked slightly.

"Bravo! That was wonderful as usual, Dark!" Mio cheered joyfully. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Before Dark could stand to put his guitar away, Mio quickly intervened. "Wait! Uh—Riku, could you go get me my notebook in the kitchen?" She turned to the auburn-haired woman and smiled innocently.

Nodding, Riku stood and made her way to the hallway behind Dark. However, before she could walk past him, Emiko called out loudly, "Okay! Stop there!"

Riku turned around and saw Emiko grinning at her. More specifically, grinning at the _two_ of them.

Side by side.

Under the doorway.

Smelling something fishy about the devious looks on Mio and Emiko's faces, Riku looked up.

And to her chagrin—or was it anticipation?—she saw a mistletoe.

Flushing an unbecoming shade of red (Riku knew, it clashed largely with her hair), she shot Dark a quick glance.

"Um, I'm sure there is some misunderstanding…"

Dark looked from the mistletoe to her, then to Mio and Emiko. A smirk formed on his face. Standing up and taking Riku's hand, he stepped closer to her. "I don't believe there is any misunderstanding. We shouldn't break tradition now, hmm?"

Frozen in shock, Riku could only stare at Dark in horror and embarrassment as realization dawned on her. She was going to be kissed in front of all these people!

Her heart beat loudly as he came closer, and finally his lips found hers.

And he was so unbelievably _soft_. Riku welcomed his advances, if only because she had no experience that she knew of in this area. He wrapped his free hand around her head and angled them so that he had better access, and Riku soon found herself in a half-embrace. Relaxing slightly, she closed her eyes as she felt his lips moving around hers.

A few seconds later, Daisuke coughed. Riku's eyes flew open as she remembered that they had an audience, and she pushed Dark roughly away. Flustered, she looked around the room and saw that the girls were pouting that the romantic scene had ended. Kosuke seemed preoccupied with his hands, Satoshi remained stoic, Daisuke looked sheepish, and Elliot was snuggling with Freedert.

"Um—" Riku had no idea what to say. "I, uh, I'll—"

Mio cracked into a fit of giggles before walking over to where Riku still stood, frozen. Slinging an arm around her friend's shoulder, she led Riku to the kitchen.

"Merry Christmas, Riku," Mio blew into her ear.

"Mio!" Riku lightly bumped her hip into her employer's. She was as red as a tomato, and snuck a glance back over her shoulder.

Dark was smirking—or was he smiling?—at her.

* * *

Ugh, realized that my writing hasn't improved much. Effective educational system, yay!

I'm not sure how well I'm handling characterization in this, so any constructive criticism may be helpful!

I do not own Monopoly Deal, and did not make it up (if it wasn't obvious already)! It's a real card game by Hasbro (or Parker Brothers… whichever). I don't want to endorse it or anything, but I myself find it incredibly fun and addicting. If you and your friends or family ever find yourself in boring situations, that game can surely take up a few hours! :)

Cheerios!

Rika


	3. Her First Date

Chapter 3: Her First Date (?)

* * *

Riku worked robotically, dusting the mannequins without thinking much about her actions. Even a week after Mio's Christmas party, she couldn't get Dark and his kiss out of her mind. The fact that he was so arrogant and confident in his advances should have irritated her—and to a point, it did—but she couldn't help but yearn to feel him again.

His attentions made her feel special, and maybe after three months of being alone, she needed someone to spend time with.

Over at the other end of the store, near the cash register, were three girls: Mio, Manami, and Yuki. Mio's two other employees had been wondering what was making Riku so distant, so Mio had immediately spilled out the juicy details.

Gasping at the brave actions of the apparently handsome man Mio described, they giggled to themselves.

After a particularly loud burst of laughter from their corner, Riku looked over and frowned. Shouldn't the others be working—like she was?

Stalking over to the cash register, she addressed the women. "What's so funny?"

Yuki, who had light brown hair, smiled coyly at Riku. "What did Mio get you for Christmas, Riku?"

"She didn't get me any—" Pausing, Riku thought back and flushed. Mio had planned the mistletoe incident. "That's none of your business. Mio, don't go around sharing these things!"

The blonde only laughed and waved her hand. "Oh, come on, Riku! That was a hot topic! Can you imagine, Tokyo's purple-haired, attractive, sexy, hot officer is interested in our little auburn-haired amnesiac?"

Riku was about to protest Mio's choice of words when the store phone rang, and the group dispersed to go back to work. Or what little work they had, anyway, as it was a slow Wednesday afternoon.

The offended chocolate-eyed woman sighed and resumed her dusting. It wasn't until the bell on the entrance door rang cheerily throughout the shop that Riku snapped out of her daydreaming-haze, and even then, she continued her half-hearted dusting to leave the customer to her more money-hungry co-workers.

To her surprise, Mio's sing-song voice sang out, "Rikuuuu, you have a visitooor!"

Looking up from the shoe-rack she had been straightening, she saw a mop of purple hair—and her pulse quickened. Making her hesitant way to the cash register, she took in Dark's full appearance. He was dressed in his complete police officer uniform, hat in hand.

His face held an amused smile.

Not expecting his arrival, she blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you, too," he answered with humor.

Blushing, and getting angry at herself for having no manners and for getting flustered so easily, she replied, "Hi. What brings you to this fine establishment?"

Mio gasped at her sarcastic comment. "Riku! I'm offended!"

Not paying their matchmaker any attention, Dark simply explained to Riku, "I'm here on my late lunch break; please be honored." At her skeptical look, he continued, "And I would like to invite you to dinner tomorrow, so we can further get to know each other."

Hearing the excited gasps of her co-workers as they huddled together giggling, Riku looked out the door and mumbled, "Can we take this outside?"

"No, sweet Riku, I don't mind an audience."

"Even if you're going to be rejected in front of them?"

At her serious tone, Dark's countenance lost its amusement. "You don't want to have dinner with me?" He eyes reflected his hurt—but only a little bit.

Finding some sick satisfaction at having burst his confident bubble, she smiled herself and assured him, "No, I said _if_. I wouldn't mind having dinner with you tomorrow."

Dark's grin was back on in a flash. "Wonderful. I'll pick you up at six. After all, I know where you live." He waggled his eyebrows at her and smirked.

Sensing Riku's indignation flare up, Mio quickly interrupted, "I told him!"

Glaring at her employer, she bit out, "Why, Mio, why? He could stalk me!"

Looking away from Riku's eyes and scratching her cheek, she cheekily replied, "Well I was playing matchmaker… and his knowing your address just sped things up." She returned her eyes to her employee and exclaimed in Dark's defense, "And Dark is a worker under the law! He would never stalk you!"

"It's always the ones you least expect…" Riku murmured.

Ignoring the jab, Dark looked to his—expensive and shiny—watch and waved to the girls. "Sorry, my lunch break is over. See you tomorrow, Riku!" He pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek before exiting the boutique.

Taken by surprise (once again), Riku stood there, flushed. It was only when Yuki and Manami began to gush about her date that she snapped out of her reverie.

"He's _such _a looker!"

"Did you see his smile? It was killer."

"Mio, how come you never told us you knew of such a great catch?" Manami, who had straight black hair, cried to her employer.

Mio held up her arms in defense. "I know what kind of guy Dark is, and I didn't want you guys to suffer through any heartbreaks while working here." She didn't mention that Dark tended to date girls like Yuki and Manami, and that their shallowness would never get them anywhere with her purple-haired ex. Despite their break-up, she wanted him to find a nice girl that valued the person more than the appearance, and she knew Riku was just the woman.

Looking towards her now, she was on the receiving end of a full-out glare.

"What's that supposed to mean, Mio Hio?" Riku felt as if Mio had just sold her out to the devil.

"Y-You're different, Riku-chan," Mio laughed nervously, backing up from the angered woman.

"Hey!" Yuki and Manami cried out in protest.

Knowing that she was getting nowhere with her scorned employees, she quickly shouted, "All right! Shop's closed for today! Bye!"

* * *

The next day, Riku strolled along the sidewalk, idly glancing at shop names while her mind wandered to Dark. Yesterday, Mio had given her Freedert's number so that the long-haired woman would be able to help Riku shop for clothes—"because God knew what little articles Riku owned"—for tonight's date. Mio would have thrown her some of the boutique's own, but of course, Mio had quickly fled the scene after angering her other employees (jokingly, of course).

Besides, Mio figured that more people around Riku would be a good thing.

Now, Riku thought about her relationship with Dark. Was it even a relationship yet? Well, it was starting out as one… although Riku had to doubt the kind of guy he was what with all of Mio's comments to her fellow workers.

Regardless, Riku found herself attracted to the mysterious and handsome man, and despite his infuriating confidence, she looked forward to spending time with him that evening.

Finally seeing the name of the small café that she and Freedert had agreed to meet in, she heard the door's bell jingle as she went inside. Her friend's long, blonde hair was easy to spot, and Riku saw that she was already sitting at a table with two men. Approaching the table, Riku hesitantly took in the sight of the extra company and knew that she was expected to meet and greet them—part of Mio's "New Riku" plan.

Freedert stood up when she saw Riku and smiled warmly. Pulling her into a hug, she introduced her two companions.

"Riku, this is Elliot, as you know, and his good friend, Kyle," Freedert gestured first to her golden-haired boyfriend and then to the ashy, light-brown haired male.

Elliot smiled and gave a little wave, but Kyle inspected her more closely. She fidgeted under his glance and wondered briefly if he was interested in her.

When she sat down next to Freedert, Kyle addressed her with a small, amused smile.

"I'm sorry, have we met before? You look very familiar."

Really looking at her new acquaintance, she took in his facial features. Light-brown hair that was tinged with a sort of milk coffee hue; eyes so dark she would almost call them black; a striking nose; and a sharp mouth that curved into a semi-smirk. Perhaps she had seen him in a magazine or on a passing billboard, but his facial features were no more distinct than the hundreds of faces that appeared in commercials everywhere.

Riku narrowed her eyes, wondering if he was using an old pick-up line from somewhere, before sighing and giving up. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you before in my life."

"You're cute," he said regardless.

Fortunately for her, Freedert stood up and began pushing Riku towards the exit.

"Sorry, Kyle," Freedert apologized sheepishly, "but I'm here to help prepare her for her date tonight."

Kyle regarded them coolly, "Oh, no problem. I can wait."

Riku was only given a second to ponder what he meant before Freedert dragged her out of the café.

"Whew, that was a close one!" Freeder sighed and dramatically wiped her brow with the back of her hand.

Curious, Riku faced her new friend. "What do you mean?"

"Kyle and his girlfriend are in a pretty complicated situation right now. Apparently she's avoiding him because of something he did," she shrugged. "He didn't give us all the details, but that's why he's in Tokyo right now. He actually lives in America." Seeing Riku's look of appreciation at her friend's foreign background, Freedert continued. "Yea, and I don't want him ruining his relationship status because of a vacation fling." She smiled apologetically at her. "They've been together for two years, and that's pretty long for him. Anyways, I promised Mio that I'd help her in her matchmaking plan, so you are also off-limits!"

Laughing, she followed Freedert to the nearby subway station to get to the popular shopping district that Mio had _insisted_ she go to for clothes.

After a few hours of dragging her feet to multiple stores and walking back out with numerous bags, Riku just knew that her past self did not like shopping. The browsing, the fitting rooms, the putting on and taking off—she didn't do well with any of them.

Collapsing onto a nearby bench in the middle of the shopping district, she wailed to Freedert.

"Freedert, I think I have enough to last me a lifetime. Surely any one of these outfits is enough for tonight."

The blonde looked back to the apple-bobbed woman lying sideways on the bench.

"Oh, come on, Riku! It's only been four hours! And we haven't even seen the other half of the district yet!"

Riku groaned. Four hours of torture. Sure, the beginning had been okay, with Riku pulling on a few shirts and pants. She was pleased with her initial purchases, but then Freedert had her trying on dresses and high heels. A few of the dresses were okay, but then they got super frilly and lacy. And while they were pretty, Riku had to admit, they just weren't her style. She didn't want anything to do with heels. Regardless, Freedert had pulled out a credit card—"Mio's; she told me to help you get a new wardrobe"—and bought her a lot of new articles of clothing that Riku was sure she would never wear.

Sighing and putting her hands on her hips, Freedert conceded. "Okay, fine. That's all for _today_ then. Come on, I'll let you ride a taxi home." She hauled Riku up by the elbow and they made their way towards the street.

They reached Riku's apartment quickly. Walking up the stairs to her floor, Freedert instructed her exhausted friend how to prepare for tonight's date—_her_ date, Riku realized. Why were Mio and Freedert so intent on directing _her_ date?

"Go take a shower and freshen up. Wear that nice dress we bought today, the black one with the bow. For shoes, go with the slightly high-heeled one." Seeing Riku's skeptical glare, she argued for her choice. "It's not even that high, Riku, and they really accentuate your legs—especially in that dress."

"But I'm not dressing to impress anyone, Freedert!"

Freedert poked her. "On the contrary, Miss Single Lady, you most certainly are. Dark Mousy, super—" she quickly cut herself off, remembering Dark's humility. "Dark Mousy, enforcer of the law, notices all the small details, so every little task you do will not go unappreciated."

They now reached Riku's door, and she fumbled for her key inside her small bag. Unlocking the door, she let the two of them inside before dumping the day's spoils onto her floor.

Her modest apartment wasn't exactly furnished. She had a dining table and two chairs; a sparsely decorated kitchen that only held the essentials; a tiny living room that housed a coffee table and a sofa; and down the hall to the right were closed doors that led to a bathroom, a laundry room, and a bedroom, respectively.

Freedert took in the Spartan look and pursed her lips. She'd have to tell everyone to visit more often to give more life to the dreary place.

Noticing her companion's dislike for her apartment, Riku defended her home. "I like it this way; simple and useful. Not full of things I don't need, and easy to clean."

Freedert's "mhmm" was half-hearted. Smiling at Riku, she said her good-byes. "I have a date myself with Elliot tonight, so I won't be able to help you prepare much—but remember my words!" She included the last part sternly because she had seen Riku's relief at her absence.

Pivoting on her toes to turn the doorknob, she looked back at Riku once more. "Have a great night, Riku. Dark's a wonderful person." She left with a little wave and Riku was left to her own devices.

Which she didn't mind in the least. She still had a good hour before Dark was scheduled to arrive, so that should be enough time for her to clean up the mess she'd made on the floor. Taking her bags to her room, she began to sort out the clothes that she'd bought today.

* * *

Straightening his collar shirt before ringing the doorbell, Dark took a deep breath. It had been awhile since he'd been worried over what a girl would think of him, so he was feeling extra self-conscious. Of course, he'd never actually show it, but the feeling was still there. Most of the girls he'd dated previously had latched onto him because of his good looks, but he found that he couldn't rely on them alone for the girl he was about to take out to dinner.

It was only a few seconds after he rung the bell that he heard footsteps behind the door, and then it swung open to reveal the woman that had been on his mind for the majority of the day.

She wore a long-sleeved black dress that had a heart-shaped collar and a bow tied around her waist. It stopped a little bit above her knees, and Dark felt that he liked the way her legs looked in the small heels she was wearing. He noticed that she didn't have on any make-up, and her hair was only neatly brushed back.

To be honest, Riku had no idea how to use the cosmetics Freedert had gotten her, and couldn't decide what to do with her hair—other than tie it in a ponytail, which she figured was too casual—so she'd simply left it down. It brushed lightly against her collar bone as she nodded at the purple-haired man in front of her.

He himself was wearing a dark navy dress shirt that was tucked neatly into his black slacks, bloused nicely to accentuate the shape of his body. The slacks only enhanced his long legs, and Riku felt herself at a loss for words once again at the attractive specimen before her.

It should be illegal to be able to look so good in only a shirt and pants.

She inwardly sighed and figured that it didn't matter what she had on; she would never compare next to this naturally good-looking beast in front of her. She grabbed the small handbag Freedert had chosen for her today and smiled at her date as she stepped outside and locked the door behind her.

"So, where to?"

Walking side-by-side, Dark answered casually, "I know this place that has sort-of gourmet food for a decent price. I also know someone who works there," he added with a conspiratorial wink at her.

"Using connections, are we?"

He shrugged. "It's the way of the world, especially in the police force."

"What exactly do you do?" She was honestly curious. She vaguely remembered that Mio had briefly mentioned him being out in the field…

He blew it off casually as they reach his car—a shiny, black Benz, of all cars—and he opened her door for her. "You know, enforce the law."

When he got into the driver's seat, she joked, "You know, with the way you're evading all my questions, I'm starting to believe you don't even work in the police force. Only the uniform I've seen you in proves that you're an officer."

He set the car in reverse and looked back. "Well, with your association with Mio, I'm starting to believe that you're probably kind of crazy. Only your sane conversation proves that you're actually a pretty sentient being." He shot her an amused smile before driving off to their destination.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you insulting Mio?"

"Only because she _is_ slightly crazy. And overly enthusiastic. And way too optimistic."

"She lives life as she wants to."

"And look where that's gotten her."

Confused, Riku asked, "With her own clothing store?"

"No, with an amnesiac for an employee," he reached over to ruffle her hair but she shook him off.

"Hey," she warned, "keep your eyes on the road."

They continued the rest of the way there in easy banter, and Riku found herself at ease with Dark. He was easy to talk to and very laid-back; her nervousness an hour before had been unnecessary.

It wasn't until they finally arrived that Riku noticed how long it took for them to get to the semi-fancy gourmet restaurant. She asked him why it was so far.

"To ensure that I don't see anyone else I know tonight," he answered as he took her arm and led her inside.

Upon seeing the waitlist for the restaurant, Riku's jaw slightly dropped before she heard her date address the waiter at hand.

"Miyamoto, it's been far too long!" Dark smiled widely as the slightly older man took notice of Dark's arrival.

"Mr. Mousy! It has indeed been far too long!" They hugged briefly before Miyamoto took in the sight of Riku. "And I see you've brought a date along as well. Fret not, we already have a table waiting for the two of you." He waltzed away and they followed him, Riku a bit hesitantly.

"You already made reservations?" she whispered.

He looked down at her. "Why, of course, Riku. You can't get in without one."

"But I thought you said this place had _semi_-gourmet food."

He shrugged. "I've had better."

They arrived at the table for two that was situated in a small corner, a bit off from the main tables to give themselves a semblance of privacy.

Just as Dark was pulling out Riku's chair for her—because chivalry was _not_ dead, he assured her—a loud voice assaulted them.

"If it isn't the superintendent-general of Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department himself!"

Looking up and around her as she sat down, she noticed Dark stiffen. She wondered briefly where the very important person was before a man with long (and shiny) blonde hair tied into a ponytail approached Dark and clapped him on the back.

Taking note of the amethyst-eyed man's stiff posture, the blonde sneered. "What, cat got your tongue?"

Finally finding his voice, Dark glared at the man before shrugging his hand off. "What are you doing here, Krad?" _And ruining my date while you're at it…_

"Why, I came to visit from Osaka and find that the superintendent-general is unavailable tonight!" He tsk-ed. "How could you not make time for an old friend like me?"

Finally realizing that Dark was not alone, Krad looked over to the auburn-haired woman seated next to them. It was like a light bulb flickered on in his head.

"Oh. You're with a woman."

"Yes," Dark ground out between his teeth.

"Back to your old antics again, I see," Krad nodded to himself. "Nothing's changed, then—"

Pushing his friend (acquaintance?) back to where he came from, Dark cut him off.

"No, you are quite wrong, everything has changed."

"Dark, wait, wait! I came here with some of your staff." Krad pointed to the center of the room where a large table seated many of his co-workers. They were looking over at them and waving happily; it appeared that they had had a few drinks already.

Dark inwardly groaned at his bad fortune, and was only appeased by the fact that they at least had the decency to change out of their police attire.

"That's wonderful, Krad, now please leave me and my date alone for the time being." Giving an especially hard push, he sent the blonde back on his way before sighing and moving to sit across from Riku.

"I'm really sorry about that," he apologized to his neglected date.

"You're Tokyo's superintendent-general?"

Dark looked at the surprised woman in front of him and took a deep breath. He grimaced as he answered. "Yea—"

"Why are you so ashamed?"

Caught by surprise, he replied, "I'm not ashamed. It's just, I get the look that you're giving me—yes, that look—right now quite often, and I'm not too comfortable with it."

Riku tried to return her jaw to her face (she knew it wasn't very becoming of her) and to stop giving him "that look."

"Why not? You should be pleased with your status."

"Yea, but…" he trailed off into a grimace. "I don't like to shove it into people's faces, you know? Ever hear of those humble brags that people try to pull off?"

Riku wasn't sure, but nodded anyway. "But you're not doing that. In fact, you're downplaying your rank so much that—" She realized that he had been apprehending a criminal the first time she saw him. "Wait, why were you 'in the field', then, when I first saw you?"

"I was actually on my break in a nearby coffee shop when I saw the thief running by, and my officers were announcing their chase through my walkie-talkie. I just found it convenient to help chase the man down, and as it turned out, I was the one that got him." He sighed and muttered, "Such incompetence, really…"

Riku let this sink in as she finally realized the meaning behind Mio's words that day. To lighten up the atmosphere since he seemed to be pretty depressed about the situation, she jested, "So it's true that officers frequent donut and coffee shops?"

Startled with her off-topic question, he looked up and smiled gratefully at her. "No, I actually don't have much of a sweet tooth. Speaking of food, we should order."

He picked up the menu and Riku did the same. After hailing down a waitress—who had stared at Dark for far too long, considering that he was here with herself—and placing their orders (Dark ordering for Riku, since she had no idea what to get), they slipped back into easy conversation again.

"So who was that guy that you were talking to?" Riku asked as she sipped her water.

"Krad," he answered with a grimace. "He's down at the Osaka Police Department."

Riku's mouth formed an '_o_' as she nodded. "Not very good friends with him?"

He shook his head. "It's not that. We went to university together and he's… quite tenacious in making me out to be the person I was back then."

"How old are you?"

The random question caught him off-guard—once again—and he responded, "Twenty-seven. And you?"

"Twenty-four. How different were you back in university?" With her great mental math skills, she realized his young age. "Wait—you're already superintendent-general at twenty-seven?"

He smile was a straight line. "Connections, I told you." He looked regretful for a moment before continuing. "My family is largely into the police force. My father died early, so I was left with his position." Seeking to ease the tension a bit, he brightly informed Riku, "And Emiko and Kosuke's museum is always seeking out the help of the police department for their security, so that's how I came to be so close to them."

The connection was there, and now Riku understood it. Not wanting to pry into his family business, she tried a different path. "And what of your university antics?"

He smirked a little in the direction of Krad's table. "I played a lot…" Looking back at Riku he quickly amended, "It's not a part of my past that I particularly enjoy. In fact," he winced, "I would probably have liked someone to knock some sense into my head."

Not liking how the direction of the conversation was sifting towards Dark's previous love life, she shifted in her seat. Here was a very experienced man—as shown by his kiss under the mistletoe—and she had nothing to show for herself.

Noticing Riku's chagrinned attitude, he took her hands into his, setting them across the table. "However, despite my past endeavors, do know that you are the only woman who has ever gone out with me for more than just my looks." He looked into her chocolate depths.

In a completely serious tone, she replied, "How do you know that I'm here with you for more than just your looks?"

They stared at each other. He blinked. She blinked evenly back.

Nonplussed, he started to pull back. She tightened her hold before laughing slightly. "I'm joking. Sorry. My sense of humor seems to be a little on the dry side." She gave his a sideways glance. "And you are quite sensitive, if not insecure."

His amethyst-eyes bore into hers earnestly. "Only because it's you, and you seem interested in more than just my face."

"To be honest, your features did pull me in, but your flirty personality sort of irritated me."

"I like honest women."

"I like honest men."

Dark smiled. "Then I think this relationship is going to be just swell."

And Riku had to agree at that.

* * *

I searched and searched (but not very thoroughly) for pictures of Elliot and Kyle, but they weren't very clear… so I apologize if their descriptions are (largely) off. In fact, I couldn't even find Kyle's face, so that's all make-believe up there.

Krad's characterization may be (largely) off as well because all I remember of him (other than being an evil villain in the manga/anime) are his actions in this one crack fic I read years ago… something about his hair and shampoo. Sorry about that.

I don't own the Benz car company (oh gosh, if I _did_…), and am not endorsing it or anything, so disclaimer for that.

Thanks for reading! :) See you in a few days.

Rika


	4. The First Attempt

Chapter 4: The First Attempt

* * *

Riku hummed softly as she lightly skipped along the sidewalk towards Tokyo's Police Department. She was on a mission (Mio coined the phrase) to deliver Dark a lunch box that Emiko had made. Apparently Emiko had instructed Mio to give it to Dark, but the blonde claimed to be too busy at her boutique to be able to take it to him so she had Riku do it on her day off.

Riku wondered briefly why Emiko herself hadn't simply delivered the lunch box, or why Dark needed one in the first place since this was the first time she'd ever heard of him eating out of a homemade lunch box (from a woman who was sort-of-like-a-mother-to-him-but-not-really-and-they-didn't-even-live-in-the-same-house), but shook it off.

At least she got to see Dark.

Their date last week had ended in success, and Riku was quite pleased with their status. They never officially coined the term boyfriend and girlfriend, but the feeling was there (if Dark's—wonderful—goodnight kiss was anything to go by). Riku had been content for the first three months after her diagnosis with amnesia; she hadn't found much fault with her job at Mio's and being alone didn't seem to bother her. But now that she had met Dark and Freedert and Mio's extended family, she realized that this was what happiness felt like—and she embraced it.

Finally arriving at the tall and large building that was the TMPD, she walked inside with purpose and sought out the front desk.

"Hi," she greeted casually. When the two women who were manning the desk looked up politely, she stated her purpose. "I'm looking for Dark Mousy." The end of her sentence sounded like both a statement and a question.

Giving the girl a once-over, the younger of the two officers frowned. "I'm afraid you'll have to state your purpose, unless you have an appointment of some sort."

Riku held up the lunch box. "I'm here for—"

"Hey Miyuki! I'm back from my break!" A messy, brown-haired boy waved to the woman in front of Riku and leaned on the front desk beside her. Realizing he had interrupted something, he glanced at Riku—and did a double-take.

"Whoa whoa whoa, aren't you the girl that boss took out to dinner last week?"

Riku stared at the unknown man. Surely he hadn't stalked her… "By boss, do you mean Dark?"

The man nodded vigorously. He noticed that she was carrying a lunch box, and jumped up to take her hand. "Are you here to bring him lunch? I'll take you to him!"

He marched off with Riku in tow while ignoring the protests of the ladies at the front desk.

* * *

Dark was having a pretty bad day. First he learned that the officers who he had strictly informed to finish the reports of the last big incidence they just concluded did not complete their job, then he was told that one of the three elevators in the building were broken. Due to the police department being 23 levels high, everyone already had to wait a long time to get to their intended destination—and one less elevator did not make anyone the merrier.

He had to fire two newbie officers that he had discovered were engaged in sexual activities in one of the break rooms—he shuddered at the sight—and then the morning meetings regarding the current missing people cases did not get any further leads.

He leaned back in his desk chair and sighed, wishing everything was easier. When there was a light knock on his door, Dark sat up straight and stiffly called out, "Come in."

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't his adorable new partner. She had her hair in two short pigtails on either side of her face, and wore dark denim-colored overall shorts. The white t-shirt inside and her comfortable sneakers only made her look younger than she already was.

For the first time all day, he broke out into a smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

She returned his grin. "What a coincidence. I ask for the superintendent-general and instead I find you. Where did you hide the poor man so that you could sit in his chair?"

The brown-haired man noticed their friendly exchange and coughed into his hand. Dark finally noticed him next to Riku.

"Saehara."

"Boss," Takeshi Saehara smiled sheepishly. "I saw her down at the front desk. She's the one that was at Miyamoto's last week, right?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence before Dark raised his eyebrow at his subordinate. Realizing that he was unwelcome and that he wasn't going to get any reward for bringing his boss's girlfriend to him, Takeshi quickly bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Gesturing for her to have a seat in front of his desk in one of the chairs, Dark inquired, "Really, why are you here? Not that I mind the company."

Riku held up the lunch box again. "Emiko told Mio to deliver this to you, who then told me to do it because she was too busy at her boutique."

Dark raised an eyebrow as he put the pieces together. "That's strange, because Emiko delivered a lunch box to me this morning." He reached into his desk and pulled out a matching lunch box to Riku's, only his was blue and hers was pink.

She looked from his box to her own. "Well, I was wondering why Emiko would give you a pink lunch box."

There was a contemplative moment of silence before they both spoke up at the same time.

"Emiko."

"Mio."

They made eye contact, and talked at the same time again.

"Towa."

"Freedert."

Knowing that all of them played some sort of part in this scheme, they both let out a laugh.

"You have wonderful friends, Dark."

"Hey, they're your friends now, too."

Riku smiled. "Yes, I guess they are." She set the lunch box she had been carrying down on his table. "Well, it's lunch time, and I'm conveniently here with a lunch box. Shall we enjoy lunch together?"

* * *

The auburn-haired woman hummed with even higher spirits than before as she made her way home. Her lunch with Dark had been much better than her usual solitary lunches at home, and she enjoyed his company—although she had flushed beet red when he reached over to wipe a thumb over her bottom lip because it had a piece of rice sticking on it.

Regardless of his shameless advances, she still found herself liking his company more and more. She added a skip to her step when she saw her apartment complex ahead, and only paused when she dropped her keys.

"Whoops," she said to no one in particular as she bent down to retrieve them.

Only to land flat back on her butt when something crashed in front of her.

Staring in surprise at the destroyed potted plant in front of her, she looked up. One of the flower pots from the outer windowsill garden of one of the tenants had come loose—apparently—and fell. The curtains from inside the room billowed out as the wind whipped it around.

Silently thanking the gods for her good luck in dropping her keys at just the right time (otherwise the potted plant would have landed on her _head_), Riku quickly ran into the apartment complex to inform the landlord of the dangers of having outdoor windowsill gardens.

* * *

Walking into Mio's Boutique, she truly found the shop to be filled with customers. As Riku shouldered her way past a particularly wide woman who held clothes all over her forearm, she saw Mio's blonde head sitting at the cash register, furiously typing in numbers as she attended to a customer.

"Mio!" Riku called as she pulled herself behind the counter to where Mio sat. "Why are there so many customers?"

When the lady Mio was attending to walked out of the store satisfied with her purchase, Mio responded, "That's because you never work during the Friday store discounts. They can choose to either have a 5% discount automatically or gamble and spin the wheel," she gestured toward the medium-sized, colorful wheel adorning the counter's surface. "Whatever it lands on, you get that discount. Of course, if you get nothing, then you have to pay full price."

Riku inspected the wheel and saw that there were quite the number of zero discounts on it. There was one "Free Purchase" slot on it, and one other "50% off" slot. The rest were 20% and 10% off the purchase (along with the zero discounts).

Raising one eyebrow, she praised her employer. "That's pretty clever of you, Mio."

Mio brushed imaginary dust off her shoulder. "Why, thank you."

"Almost as clever as your scheme to have Dark and I enjoy lunch together today."

Mio's nose was up high and she was about to thank her again when she saw Riku's amused smile. She laughed sheepishly. "Well… you two need to spend more time together, after all!"

"We're just fine in our relationship without the help of you, Emiko, Towa, or Freedert, thank you very much."

Mio's eyes were wide with horror. "They all spilled the beans?"

Crossing her arms, Riku responded, "No… we just assumed that they were in on it too. But thank you, for revealing their roles in this as well."

Mio _tch_-ed before attending to the next customer. "Well, while you're here, Riku, why don't you help Yuki and Manami? They're restocking items and aiding any of the customers around the store."

Riku nodded and moved to help her co-workers.

When it was nearing evening, and when the shop had quieted down so that all the girls were simply cleaning up after the afternoon mayhem, Riku brought up the incident that had almost happened to her.

"You'll never believe what happened to me today," she started, and when the others gave her their attention, she told them of how the flower pot nearly missed her.

Instead of the amazement she expected from them, they were immediately worried. "Are you okay?" Manami asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm perfectly fine," Riku assured them. "I was just very fortunate to have dropped my keys!"

The three girls still looked shocked and worried at how close their friend had come to a fatal accident.

"Be careful, Riku, accidents… sometimes they don't just happen," Mio advised her.

* * *

Sorry it's short, I have the story planned out (it won't be very long, nine chapters or so) and this was needed.

Please let me know how I'm doing! :)

Rika


	5. The First Inquiry

Chapter 5: The First Inquiry

* * *

A long-haired brunette looked dismally out of a plane window. The sky was dark, and the cabin was quiet as most of the passengers were resting.

She was unable to sleep due to her increasing worry, and the dark bags under her eyes were proof of that. Her twin sister had gone missing a while back, and she was now going in search of her.

She had already tried the authorities, but they weren't able to obtain any leads as to where her sister was.

She clutched the white envelope in her hands more tightly.

_I'll find you, Riku…_

* * *

"It's my birthday!" Mio chirped as she threw the card down into the center pile.

Everyone grumbled as they paid her the fake money that was due.

"It's my birthday again!" Her eyes glinted as Daisuke had to forfeit one of his paper properties to pay her.

"How many birthdays can you have, sheesh…" he was grumbling.

Riku laughed at Daisuke's expense. Mio had invited her, Daisuke, and Satoshi over to her condo again. Emiko and Kosuke had to run their museum, and Freedert and Elliot had already made plans.

Mio didn't mind, she was absolutely winning at this game of Monopoly Deal.

The doorbell rang, and Riku went to answer it. She opened the door to find Dark standing there in casual clothes.

Smiling, he greeted her with a quick peck on the cheek.

She blushed and moved back to let him step in.

"Dark's finally here!" Mio called in greeting.

"Fashionably late, as always," Dark grinned back.

"Come, come," Mio urged. "I'm monopolizing this game already as it is; I need some real competition!"

"On the contrary, Mio," Satoshi regarded her coolly, "I am not far behind you."

They continued their game, and soon Dark joined in. The evening was jovial, and Riku enjoyed the atmosphere. It was a lot better than her own quiet apartment, and she found that she was enjoying her life much better now with these people around her.

* * *

The long-haired brunette walked into the building with purpose, regardless of the lateness of the day. She needed information, and she needed it now.

Striding up to the front desk, she told the man, "I'm looking for someone."

The man looked up from the paperwork he had been working on, then did a double-take. The woman was beautiful, with chocolate hair that hung elegantly down her back. Her face was unblemished, and her rosy lips were pursed into a straight line. Her fierce eyes were penetrating into the man's, seeking answers.

"And who are you looking for, miss?" he tried to answer her politely. It wasn't often that pretty young women came marching into the police department this late at night—unless it was for an escort home.

"Riku Harada."

Baffled, he looked at the woman's face. She had stated the name as if it was supposed to mean something to him. She stood her ground.

"I'm sorry, no Riku Harada works here…"

Her shoulders slumped. "And there haven't been any cases or incidences involving a Riku Harada?" Her tone was defeated and desolate.

The man smiled apologetically. "Sorry, miss. However, if you want, you can file for an investigation—"

"Yes! I'd like to do just that!" she jumped and answered.

Satisfied that he had at least done something right, the man pulled out a folder and took out a form. "I'll need you to fill some forms out, miss…"

"Risa. Risa Harada," she responded, taking the form from the man.

Finally, she was getting somewhere in her search for her sister. It had been so long since she'd heard from her; Risa sincerely hoped that she was all right.

* * *

The next morning, Riku woke and rolled over on her bed. As she snuggled her head into her fluffy—and expensive—pillow, she thought, _Best investment ever…_

Instead of buying small trinkets and clothes with the money she had made the last three months, she sought out comfort items. Her soft pillow and blanket were evidence of the fact, and she currently buried her nose into the fluffy fabrics.

Until she realized what she had promised Dark yesterday.

Eyes darting open, she jumped out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. As she was scrubbing her hair in the shower, she wondered what she was going to do.

Dark had requested dinner with her, and—foolishly, she now knew—she offered to make dinner for him at her place. It had seemed like a good idea; Dark had never been to her place, and Riku thought that she needed to add some life to the dreary place.

And Dark was just the person.

Groaning, she turned the water off and wrapped a towel around herself as she proceeded to brush her teeth. Riku knew how to cook, but all she ever made were simple foods to satisfy a passing hunger.

Today she had to stop by the super market and pick up some groceries. And while she was at it, she might as well stop by a bookstore to buy a cookbook…

She moved on to her closet to pick out an outfit from her new wardrobe. Although she was only going out on errands, she figured she might as well put some use to the clothes Freedert and Mio had gotten her. Not like she was going to wear them anywhere else.

She pulled on a pastel colored dress and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She didn't think the colors matched her… but shrugged. Grabbing a thin cardigan to fend off the late morning chills, she shouldered a small handbag and left her apartment.

She shuffled down the street as she made her way to a bookstore she frequented. She needed to peruse through some recipes to know which ones to make tonight, and wanted to take as much time as she needed.

It actually didn't take as long as she thought it would take to find the perfect book, and she smiled at the old man running the shop before she left for the market.

She smiled to herself. This was nice. She had a nice boyfriend, wonderful friends, and a comfortable life. She was briefly wondering about her relationship with Dark and how fast it had progressed when she bumped into a hard shoulder.

Turning her head, she made to apologize. "I'm sorry—"

"Riku."

She looked at the ashy, brown-haired man that she had bumped into and who just addressed her. He was the man that had been with Freedert and Elliot.

"Kyle…?" she asked hesitantly, hoping that she got his name right.

He grinned. "You remembered me! I'm honored."

Something about the easy tug of his lips pulled at her heart slightly, until she mentally shook herself. She already had a boyfriend!

"What are you doing right now?" he asked her, glancing at the book she held in her hands.

"I'm actually on my way to the supermarket to pick up some groceries."

"Would you like some company?"

Riku looked at the hopeful expression on his face and knew she had to refuse him. "No, that's quite all right. I'm sure you have business to attend to—"

"I don't," he interjected casually.

She bit her lip, wondering how to politely reject him. "I'm picking up groceries for the dinner I'm preparing tonight." Hoping he got the hint, she angled the book she was holding so that he could see the title.

It was a cookbook for intricate meals… Kyle showed his teeth while smiling. "Are you making a meal for your friends? Am I invited?"

Riku forced herself to laugh at his little joke. "Actually, it's for a special dinner I'm having with… someone."

Kyle saw the slight reddening of her face.

"You know," Riku started quickly, "Freedert told me that you and your girlfriend are going through some rough times, but I think you guys should reconcile. You guys have been together for two years already, right?"

Kyle looked at her evenly, and shrugged. "I can have my fun while we're on this break."

"You shouldn't cheat on her, Kyle," Riku told him softly.

His answer was immediate. "What if she's cheating on me?"

"You don't know that—"

"I do. I know that she is."

Riku looked into his eyes, and saw that they had turned hard. She knew she wasn't to blame, but felt herself wanting to escape his intense stare anyway. Not knowing what to say, she was about to excuse herself when he spoke up.

"You're wearing a dress." His voice had turned casual again.

Not understanding his tone, she wondered what he meant. It wasn't a question, but a statement… Oh, maybe the color of the dress, as she had suspected, didn't suit her. "Yes," she agreed.

He gave her outfit a thoughtful look. "It doesn't suit you."

She would have gotten angry at his unnecessary comment, but wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.

"Well, it was nice bumping into you, Kyle," she waved as she backed away. "Maybe I'll see you around." She pivoted and walked quickly down the street.

_He's kind of strange… and he has issues with his girlfriend._

* * *

Risa was pacing around in her hotel room when the phone rang. The previous night, the officer had told her that he would contact her immediately if any information regarding her sister was found, and now she jumped at the ringing of her cell phone.

"Hello?" she answered quickly. Upon finding out that they had found something of Riku's, Risa told them that she'd be down at the department stat.

Grabbing her bag, she zoomed out of her room and out of the hotel. Hailing a taxi (which didn't take too long, considering she was a young and beautiful lady), she was able to get to the Osaka Police Department quickly.

Running inside, she spotted the officer she had talked to yesterday. He acknowledged her and told her to follow him.

They went up to the third floor, and Risa was led into a room with another officer.

Risa looked at the man that had helped her. "Officer Yuji—"

"Please, take a seat," he gestured towards one of the chairs on the other side of the table. "This is Inspector Kuramochi," Risa nodded at the slightly stocky man that looked to be in his forties, and was sporting a mustache, "and he was able to find this at the train station early this morning."

A small, light brown wallet was brought to the table, and Risa reached to open it. Inside, she found her sister's ID among other cards and money.

Risa looked up and addressed the men. "Train station?"

Inspector Kuramochi nodded. "According to the Osaka Train Station, this was turned in a few months ago by an anonymous person who found it on the floor. I guess we still have honest people in the world, eh?" He elbowed Officer Yuji and they both chuckled.

Not finding anything humorous about the situation, Risa stared at Riku's picture. It was a picture that her twin didn't particularly like, Risa knew, because Riku had complained about it multiple times. She said the picture made her face look oily and her eyes look especially angry.

Stroking a thumb over her missing twin's photo, she held her tears in as she asked the officers, "Where was the train headed?"

Surprised, Inspector Kuramochi answered, "I was told it was found on the train that only travels directly to Tokyo. The workers had been waiting for the owner to come and pick up her ID, but no one ever came."

Risa stared down at the treasured wallet of her sister. Their parents had given them matching ones, and Risa's own was pink. Riku would have known if something so important was missing. Why didn't she go to claim her wallet?

"Because she couldn't…" Risa whispered. She began getting goose bumps at the thought.

The officers looked at the forlorn woman, and Inspector Kuramochi turned serious. "You said this was a missing person case." At Risa's small nod, he continued. "That ID isn't a Japanese issued card. Why don't you tell us from the beginning what happened?"

Risa thought back to the white envelope tucked safely inside her bag. After a moment's hesitation, she figured she had nothing to lose now. She looked up and nodded at the two men.

"All right."

* * *

I didn't research too much about Japanese Police Departments or Train Stations, so don't quote me on anything!

Also, a big, warm, belated thank you to kure yui and falconrukichi for their reviews. I'm not used to the reply function and by the time I realized I should thank you personally, enough time had passed that I thought it'd be sufficiently awkward… but thanks very much! :)

Rika


	6. The First Investigation

Chapter 6: The First Investigation

* * *

_Dear Risa,_

_If you're reading this letter, it means that too much time has passed since I told you where I was going. However, don't panic. And whatever you do, do not tell anyone the contents of this letter._

_I don't know how much I can reveal here in case it falls into the wrong hands, but I'll try my best._

_Risa, I came across something unexpected—something surprising, something ominous… something bad. I can't tell you exactly what it is, because it could endanger you and anyone else who knows about it._

_And, the truth is, I'm not even sure if I'm right about it. That's why I'm going to Japan to find out more information. You might think me silly, to return to our home country simply to research something that may not even be true, but I have to know, Risa. You know how much I've always loved crime scenes and dealings with the law. But don't think that this "immature, reckless adventure" (I know that's what you're calling it, don't deny it) is stemmed only from my love of watching crime shows. I know there's something behind this; I saw enough to believe it. I just need proof now, and I'm going to Japan to get it._

_Listen… This case involves a serial killer. I'm serious. I stumbled upon something… and realized that the murderer was still at large—and still very capable of committing more murders. _

_I'm not sure how much the murderer knows how much I know, but I know I'm in danger. And if I tell you who I suspect, then you'll be in danger too—so I'll keep my lips sealed._

_If you've found this letter, it means that I haven't contacted you in a long time, and that you've searched my desk at home for any clues as to where I am. I know I only told you that I was going off to research, but now you know that the last place I said I was going to be is Japan. Osaka, to be specific._

_Please don't tell mom and dad, or the authorities. If they poke their noses into this… I don't know what will happen to them. Too much attention in this area might make the murderer suspicious, and the last thing I want is for my family to be in danger!_

_I don't know whether I want you to look for me, Risa. I might not even be alive by the time you read this, if I haven't contacted you recently. I could be anywhere, and any unwarranted attention could endanger you also._

_Well… here's my will, I guess. Everything I own, Risa, I leave to you. That's right, you can even have those lovely socks Gran gave me for Christmas last year, the brown Rudolph ones with the big red nose._

_Tell Dad I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish business school, but that I had every intention of inheriting the family business. Well, that's your job now, Risa. Good luck with starting business school!_

_Tell Mom I'm sorry I never spent much time with her, that her attempts at getting me to dress up were futile since the beginning. But also let her know that I love her very much, even if my distaste in the dresses you two fancy distanced myself from her physically._

_Oh, and, uh… I ran over our family rabbit. I know I blamed it on the neighbors but… well, Wiz wasn't supposed to be outside of our house in the first place, so shame on whoever left the door open!_

_I'm sorry for leaving such a burden on you. Tell everyone I love them._

_And I love you very, very much, Risa._

_Yours always,_

_Riku_

* * *

Riku dropped the bags of groceries down onto the kitchen counter. She took a deep breath and rolled up her sleeves.

"Okay, you can do this, Riku…" she mumbled to herself as she took out the cookbook. She perused the table of contents until she found what she was looking for.

"Pork tonkatsu, miso-glazed salmon steaks…" She nodded, then set to sorting out the groceries.

After thirty minutes of staring at the frying pan in front of her, she scrunched her eyes shut and gave a disgruntled groan.

"I can't do this!" She brushed her bangs back from her forehead and looked resignedly at the phone. "Guess I'll have to call Freedert…" She knew Mio was busy at the boutique, given that it was a Sunday. Riku picked up her cell phone and dialed Freedert's number. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello, Freedert here!"

Unsure of how to ask a favor of her, Riku fidgeted. "Uh, hi Freedert, it's Riku."

"Oh, hey! What's up?"

Riku relayed her plans tonight to the exuberant blonde on the other end.

Freedert giggled evilly. "Hehehe… another date with Dark?"

Riku blushed and huffed, "Yes, what of it?"

"Haha, nothing, dear Riku! Of course I'll help with the preparation, give me ten minutes, 'kay?"

She agreed and they hung up. She sighed again and went to sit at one of the table chairs. Well, this felt nice. She had a date tonight, and she had friends she could call when she came across problems getting ready for the date. She briefly wondered if she had friends in her previous life… well, if she did, none of them came to her aid after she was diagnosed with amnesia. Surely she wasn't _that_ intolerable that people would run from her when given the chance to not know her… right?

Ten minutes later, Freedert rang the doorbell. When Riku answered the door, she was surprised to find not only Freedert, but also Towa and Emiko. They waved cheerfully from behind the ecstatic blonde.

"Hi Riku! I brought along more help," chirped Freedert, gesturing to the women behind her.

Riku's eye twitched. Wonderful, now all they were missing was Mio. The whole plotting crew for Riku and Dark's relationship was here. Riku took a deep breath and smiled anyways, knowing that they had her best interest at heart.

"Well then, let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

Risa took a deep breath. Was she supposed to reveal everything to these policemen, or keep quiet, as her twin had instructed her to do? Last April, Riku had told her that she was going away to research something. Only when August rolled along did Risa and her parents notice that they hadn't heard from the other twin in about a month—and that their calls, e-mails, and letters weren't getting any responses. The police were informed, but they couldn't find any traces of her; nobody knew exactly where she had gone. Everyone was curious and worried; they thought that maybe she had eloped or something.

Risa found Riku's letter in November after exploring her twin's room one day, just for nostalgic purposes. She had pulled open a desk drawer and inside, she found a white envelope addressed to her. After reading it, Risa had no idea what to do; inform her family and the authorities, or keep quiet? After a month of deliberating, Risa decided to go to Japan herself and find out the whereabouts of her twin.

Now, as she looked into the faces of the officer and inspector before her, she hesitated. How much to reveal?

"My sister… that is, Riku, came to Japan to find out… some stuff. She told me she was going somewhere last April, but I lost contact with her in August. I only discovered that she came to Osaka two months ago…"

"And how did you know she came to Osaka?" Inspector Kuramochi asked.

"S-She told me, in a letter I found just recently…"

"Where is the letter? Can we see it?"

Risa fidgeted. "No, I left it back home."

"Home?" Officer Yuji prodded.

"America."

"And the American authorities couldn't find your sister?"

Risa mumbled, "Riku told me not to tell anyone that she was coming to Japan. She said it was dangerous to know too much."

Officer Yuji and Inspector Kuramochi looked at each other.

"I think we need to see that letter…" the inspector said.

Risa looked up desperately. "I can't! She told me to promise not to show anyone!"

Kuramochi looked at her dubiously. "In that letter that you found just two months ago."

"Yes, but—" Risa glared at him. "You wouldn't know anything about our loyalties to each other. _Anyway_," she cut off what Officer Yuji was about to say, "now I know that she's not in Osaka; she's in Tokyo. Or that's where the evidence is leading now."

Kuramochi sighed and smoothed out his mustache. "Look, girlie, just because her wallet was found on the train heading to Tokyo doesn't mean anything. Maybe someone stole it and left it there, maybe—"

"Her money is still here." Risa gave him a contemptuous look. After a long staring contest between the three people in the room, Risa blinked and slumped in defeat.

"Listen, my sister… I don't know what…" she hesitated, debating whether or not to tell the truth. However, knowing that she was grasping at intangible straws already, she decided to be truthful. She took another deep breath. "My sister discovered some information on a serial killer, and has come to Japan to find out more information. She said that the killer was still at large, and that telling me too much information in her letter would endanger me and my family."

There was a silence. Then, Officer Yuji spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Miss Risa, but I highly doubt that an old serial killer case would reopen itself today."

Risa wrung her hands. "I know, and I don't know if it's a current case or a really old one. I'm assuming it's old though because Riku discovered it in America…" She looked up at the faces of the enforcers of the law in front of her and knew that they were not going to help her. She stood up. "You know what, it's fine. I'll go to Tokyo and find her myself."

But as she made her way hastily to the doorway, Yuji stopped her. He sighed, and looked pleadingly at the inspector.

"Inspector Kuramochi, I know we don't have sufficient evidence to reopen any case, but we can't let this young woman go off in search of something so dangerous, if what she says holds any truth in it."

The stocky, mustached man considered this for a moment, then looked over at Risa. She was looking dejectedly at the floor. He gave up and conceded.

"All right, I'll tell my superior to call up Tokyo and we'll see what we can do from there."

Risa's face lit up brilliantly and she dazzled the two men in the room momentarily.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!"

* * *

Riku surveyed the dinner table. She nodded satisfactorily at the successful pork tonkatsu, miso-glazed salmon steaks, shrimp tempuras, tuna skin salad… the array of entrees was more than enough for her and Dark. She turned back to her friends again.

"Please stay for dinner! After all you guys have helped me with!"

Freedert crossed her arms and Towa stashed the last of the ingredients into the fridge before turning to face the caramel-haired woman. Emiko finished washing the used dishes and wiped her hands on a towel.

"Nope, this is _your_ date, Riku!" Freedert said with finality.

"But you guys helped so much! I hardly lifted a finger."

Towa giggled. "We did all this for you and Dark, of course, so make sure this night is _special_." She winked conspiratorially.

Riku flushed and looked away. The other three girls laughed good-naturedly and were preparing to leave.

"Remember, if anything gets cold, I suggest sticking it in the oven for a few minutes. It should still be warm," Emiko advised as she located her coat and bag.

"That is, if Dark's late," Freedert said, slipping on her heels.

"And I don't think he'll be late at all…" Towa's words drifted off. "He'll want all the time he can get alone with you."

"You guys!" Riku was torn between letting them stay to enjoy the extravagant dinner they had helped her prepare and pushing them out the door to stop their lascivious comments.

Emiko checked her watch. "Okay, well, I don't want Dark to catch us here. You are to tell him that you made all of this yourself, okay?" she instructed Riku sternly. "Nothing wins over a man than a good cook."

Riku sweat-dropped and nodded noncommittally. She was going to tell Dark the truth anyway; they knew the wily ways of these women as a sort of inside joke between them.

After waving good-bye to her friends and thanking them once more, she closed the door and looked around her apartment for any last minute touch-ups. She had changed when Freedert pushed her into her closet earlier, demanding that she wouldn't be allowed out of it until she (Freedert) approved of her outfit.

Now she was dressed in a dark lavender, frilly-but-Riku-acceptable-frilly top, and black shorts (she had bargained furiously with Freedert over the shorts, and obviously won). Freedert then deigned it her responsibility to make sure that Riku's hair was done, and added pastel pink ribbons to it…

She went to look at herself in the mirror, and debated whether or not to take them out. Freedert was gone, after all. She tilted her head slightly and saw that the ribbons did indeed highlight her hair and add some style to it. She shrugged and walked out of the bathroom, just in time to hear the doorbell ring.

Heart beating loudly, she walked to her front door and opened it. She found her beau smirking at her, and her heart stopped beating for just a moment. Even though they were already together, his attractiveness still overwhelmed her.

His hair was mussed in an untidy-yet-dashing manner, as always, and his maroon dress shirt was unbuttoned to reveal his collar bone. Riku didn't know what to do with this male specimen before her.

"How about… inviting me in?"

Riku jumped and looked up at his raised eyebrow. He couldn't have read her mind, could he?

"Oh—Gosh—Sorry! Yes, please do come in." She moved aside to allow him entry, and he laughed as he stepped inside.

"You don't need to fall head over heels for me _every_ time we meet, sweet Riku. My ego will inflate too much if you keep doing that." He lightly pinched her arm as she locked the door.

She swatted his hand away. "I-I'm not falling head over heels for you! Your purple hair stuns me into a paralyzed state because of its startling, ostentatious color…"

Unsure of whether to take that as an insult or a compliment, he chose the latter. As she passed him on her way to the dining table, he pulled at her elbow to stop her and touched the ribbons in her hair. She froze.

"I like these," he breathed next to her. "They're so… uncharacteristically _not Riku_." He pulled back with an amused smile on his face.

"Courtesy of Freedert, of course," Riku smiled back. "In fact," she walked over to the table and gestured to the dazzling array of food placed on top of it, "most of these are courtesy of Emiko, Freedert, and Towa."

Dark followed her and raised both eyebrows this time. "So modest. What did _you_ make?"

When she didn't immediately reply, Dark moved his gaze from the appetizing dishes to notice her fidgeting.

"I helped with… this and that… you know."

He chuckled. "But I'm sure they told you to tell me that you made all of these yourself?" She nodded. "Of course, even if you _did_ say that, I wouldn't have believed you. I already know that Emiko is a good cook."

Riku huffed in indignation. "For your information, I can cook! Just probably not all of these."

"Right," Dark smirked. He walked over to her side of the table and pulled out a chair for her. "Well, then, mademoiselle, I happen to be famished, so if you'll relax and sit down, we can enjoy this lovely meal made by our nosy friends."

She smiled in defeat and accepted his act of chivalry—because it was definitely _not_ dead. When she saw that he too had sat down, she raised her glass and he did the same.

"To nosy friends."

* * *

When Officer Yuji and Inspector Kuramochi promised Risa that they would try to help her, she did not expect to be taken to the Director General of the Osaka Prefectural Police. She also did not expect the Director General to be so young and—well—_handsome_.

She was currently standing outside the office of the Director General; Yuji and Kuramochi had gone inside to explain her situation. But when the door had opened, she had caught the briefest glimpse of long, silky blonde hair and an aristocratic profile…

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. _You are not here to play, Risa!_ She tried to listen more closely to what was being said on the other side of the door.

"So you want to re-investigate this so-called serial killer case—that may not have been touched for _decades_—without even sufficient proof that the case can be reopened, and without even knowing _who the murderer is_?" a deep voice drawled dubiously.

"Ah, er, that is, we have, um," it was Officer Yuji who was stuttering.

Risa's ear was pressed closely to the door, trying to listen for any sounds. How come they weren't saying anything? Were they whispering? What was going to happen? Oh, she _had_ to find Riku, she just _had_ to—!

The door was pulled open from the other side and Risa stumbled into it. She had the grace to straighten herself before she fell completely to her embarrassment, however.

Looking up, she saw that Kuramochi had been the one to open the door, with a nervous Yuji behind him. The Director General was sitting behind his desk, chin on his casually clasped hands.

"H-Hello…" Risa started, when nobody seemed inclined to talk.

The Director General raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Sit," he said amusedly, his eyes flickering to the seats in front of him. Only Risa sat, however; the other two officers remained standing.

"So I hear that you want to reopen a case," Krad leaned back into his chair, "without any evidence and without any knowledge of who the murderer of this case _is_."

Risa knew rudeness when she saw it. She knew when she was being condemned by people who thought she was an airheaded bimbo, just because she looked like a wallflower.

She straightened in her seat and looked at the blonde determinedly.

"I have reason to believe that my sister stumbled upon a serious case not too long ago, and has now gone missing because of it."

The blonde blinked lazily at her. "Ahuh."

Risa fired up in indignation. "I am completely serious! She's been gone for quite a while now and I need to find her! Don't tell me you're just going to brush this off, Mr.—" she glanced at the flashy nameplate on his desk, "_Krad Hikari_!" She shouted the last part condescendingly.

Krad looked at the fiery girl in front of him. He wasn't complaining; it wasn't every day that an attractive young lady would come into his office and shout at him like he wasn't a very powerful man. It was a nice refresher, for a change.

But he had his pride as a man to keep up.

"I'm sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all, "but I can't just open any case that I want to, even with all the power I have, because that would be very wrong politically and would no doubt cause a lot of disorganization if I were to reopen cases every day."

Risa was undeterred. "That's fine. I'll go look for my sister in Tokyo myself."

But as she stood up to leave, Officer Yuji and Inspector Kuramochi quickly jumped in.

"Director General Hikari, sir," Yuji said quickly, "we can't let this young woman investigate this herself! If it is indeed as dangerous as she says it is, and if the case concerns an old serial killer that is still out in the field, then surely we cannot turn a blind eye towards it!"

Krad looked at his two subordinates evenly. There was a silence, in which he contemplated his options. It wasn't that he couldn't reopen the case; he had more than enough hands capable of handling his whims. He just wanted to show some dominance over those he reigned, because who was a ruler who didn't have power?

Oh yes, he fancied world domination one day. But that would have to wait.

"All right," Krad conceded. "I'll make a call up to the Tokyo Police Department and see what strings I can pull. No promises, and this case, while not necessarily being reopened, will be investigated further in Tokyo." He looked at the two men in front of him, who both visibly sagged with relief. Then he looked at the woman still standing in front of the chair, and saw that her face had transformed into a beautiful, smiling girl.

He would have to remain on this case, regardless of who he called. He couldn't just let this girl walk away from his life now that he'd seen how beautiful she was.

A King couldn't rule without a Queen… right?

* * *

"I'm not going to lie, Riku," Dark said genially, "this movie kind of sucks."

They were sitting on Riku's couch, facing the out-of-date television set that had come with the apartment. The movie that Riku had haphazardly chosen at the local rental store was not only in terrible quality, but also seemed to be lacking in substance as well.

It was some corny love story with dramatic acting that only made movie watchers cringe at the pitiful actors.

Regardless, Riku snuggled her head closer to Dark's. They were quite comfortable in their current position, sitting closely together on her sofa.

"Next time, you bring a movie then. Or some other recreational activity that we can do," Riku responded.

Dark smirked down at her, wrapping an arm around her torso and pulling her closer. "I know of some recreational activities that we can do… together. And they're quite healthy for the body, too."

Too drowsy to understand his insinuation, she merely nodded. "Mhmm, sure, let's do that next time."

He chuckled and was about to poke her nose to wake her up when his cell phone rang loudly from the dining room table.

Riku sat up slowly away from Dark and brushed her hair back with her hand.

"You'd better answer that, sounds urgent."

"It's just a ringtone, how can it sound urgent?" Dark scowled at nothing in particular, frustrated that his intimacy with Riku had been broken. Regardless, the phone kept ringing, and he got up off the couch to retrieve his cell.

While Dark answered the phone, Riku's gaze strayed over to the TV and, subsequently, to the clock on top of it. To her surprise, it read nine o'clock. It would be customary to send Dark home before it got too late… She shook herself. She had no one watching over her; no parents to scold her for her behavior. What would it matter if a man stayed over at her place?

Still, she had only known Dark for roughly a month…

She heard his phone snap shut and looked over her shoulder. He sighed and turned to look apologetically at her.

"Sorry, some business came up at the department. I'll have to leave early." He walked over to the back of the couch and kneeled so that his arms were comfortably resting on the top of the couch. He was head-to-head with Riku, who was still sitting on the other side.

"Forgive me?"

Riku smiled and ruffled his hair, to which he gave a feeble protest.

"Hey, remember what I said about the hair…" he said warningly.

"That it's fluffy and that I can touch it whenever I want?" she asked innocently. Before he could reply, however, she laughed and stood up. "Of course I forgive you. Duty calls, doesn't it?" She made her way to the other side of the couch, where Dark was standing up.

He pulled her closer and looked her in the eye. "I'll be back."

A smile tugged at her lips. "Not tonight, surely?"

He chuckled, then rested his chin atop her head. "No, I guess not tonight." They stood in their embrace for a moment and said nothing, simply enjoying each other's company.

Then Dark said, "You have a lumpy head."

Riku pulled abruptly away from him and frowned. "Maybe your chin is just uneven."

"Ah, you can't attack my face. Everyone knows that it has perfect symmetry; it's a well-known fact."

"My head is _not_ lumpy."

"I don't mind a lumpy head, Riku; I was just commenting."

Riku narrowed her eyes. "My head is _not_ lumpy!"

"I think it's time for me to leave now…"

* * *

Sorry this was late; I got caught up in some things.

I hope nothing is too confusing. If it is, feel free to ask any questions you have—though I won't answer any that have to do with the plot or what will happen, aha.

Some reviews and/or thoughts about this mediocre mystery would feed this humble author greatly. :)

Cheers,

Rika


	7. The Second Attempt

Chapter 7: The Second Attempt

* * *

Saehara Takeshi yawned as he waited for the scan to print out. It was already this late at night, and the Osaka Police Department still wanted them to look at a stupid identity card.

He was inside the Superintendent General's office because Dark had called him and instructed him to await the incoming documents. Well, at least he didn't have it as bad as his superior, Takeshi thought. Dark was the one who had to investigate whatever was coming, _and_ he was coming back after having already ended his shift. Takeshi's shift, on the other hand, was just about over…

His drooping eyes took in what was being faxed over. There was a face… quite an angry face, he noted, but it was a girl. More interested now that he saw that it was a young member of the opposite sex, he tilted his head to get a better look.

That hair color was an unusual shade of auburn… Where had he seen it before?

When the whole picture was finally visible, he gasped. Wasn't this—? But it couldn't—! How come the boss's girlfriend was—?

He tried pulling the paper out faster, wrinkling the edges a bit. It sure was taking its leisure time printing; centimeter by single centimeter.

He finally saw the first name. _Riku_.

Okay. Well, Riku was a common name. What was this case about, again? He hadn't been listening very closely to what Dark was saying; he was too groggy to really comprehend more than the physical instructions to go wait in the office.

The paper eventually finished printing and Takeshi snatched the paper up, holding it up to the light as if it would make it clearer.

It was a scan of an ID card, but it wasn't a Japanese one. There were English words on it, but the girl on the picture surely wasn't Caucasian. She had shorter hair, but the color was undoubtedly the same, and her eyes, although angry in this picture, were the same as that woman's.

Takeshi gasped. Riku Harada? What had she done? Why was the Osaka Department telling them to investigate her?

His stomach dropped. And the boss had finally found a nice girl, too… If she left him, or the other way around, Dark would undoubtedly be in a grumpy attitude and would wreak havoc for the next _year_. Not to mention that if he was single, there was no point in anyone getting a girlfriend because they would all flock to the Superintendent General.

Before he could sulk about the current predicament anymore, the door opened and Dark came in, wearing a nice dress shirt and pants. Takeshi took one look at him and knew that he had been on a date, probably with the girl whose ID he now held in his hand.

Dark saw Takeshi and made his way over to the coat-hanger. On the way, he nodded to the paper in his hands. "Evening, Saehara. What've we got tonight?"

Takeshi's throat seemed unbearable dry. "Uh, that is, an ID…" _To hand over or not to hand over… _The stakes were high. He was holding onto the paper that would tell him whether he would get laid or not in the coming year.

Dark finished hanging up his coat and strolled over to his subordinate. He tried to look at what was on the paper, but Takeshi was holding it so that all Dark saw was white. He held out his hand, expecting Takeshi to hand it over.

When he didn't, Dark raised an eyebrow, and went to grab the paper himself. A brief struggle ensued, in which Takeshi tried to keep his grip on the paper while trying not to rip it at the same time. Dark won.

His eyes perused the paper once, his eyes widening. Takeshi was keeping watch on his reaction.

"Sir, if I may ask. What is this case about?"

"It's a missing person case, Takeshi."

* * *

Risa Harada was in higher spirits, which was saying a lot. For the past six months she had been worrying endlessly, unable to keep up her studies in the fashion industry. She had left school temporarily to find her sister's whereabouts, an action that her parents disapproved of and thought futile and reckless, but Risa was determined.

She was currently sitting on a train up to Tokyo, in which she would be able to speak to the Police Department there in hopes of finding a lead on her sister. However, since it was still night, she would have to wait until morning, something she wasn't very keen on. She wanted to find her sister _now_.

And elbow knocked into hers to her right. She pursed her lips and looked over at her blonde companion.

"Do you mind?" she asked irritably.

"What?" Krad Hikari responded innocently.

"Can you please stop being," Risa jerked her elbow onto the armrest more firmly, "an armrest nazi?"

"I'm not a nazi," he said indignantly. "We are sharing this armrest, like all civilized people should."

"Please keep on _your_ side of the armrest then." Risa huffed and turned her head to look out the dark window.

Krad looked affronted. Women and their issues with space!

The Director General had decided to go to Tokyo as well, though he refused Risa's notion that he was following her. He was simply going to visit an old friend again… and this case was indeed intriguing.

At least, the woman next to him who was so adamant about finding the missing person was intriguing.

Krad settled more comfortably into his seat, inadvertently bumping his elbow into his companion's again.

As she grumbled, he chuckled to himself. Very intriguing indeed.

* * *

Riku awoke early the next day, knowing that she was wanted at the Police Department. As she staggered into the bathroom and fumbled for the light switch in her early morning daze, she remembered the late-night call that Dark had made to her. He had told her to come into the office early the next morning because he wanted to tell her something.

A little part of her was excited, another anxious. What could he possibly want to tell her that he couldn't tell her over the phone—or when they had been eating dinner, for that matter?

She made her way to her closet and pulled on jeans and a striped shirt. She brushed her hair briefly, then decided on a pony tail to keep it out of her eyes. Once set, she grabbed her bag and light jacket and made her way out of her apartment and towards the subway station.

She could have taken a taxi, she mused; it might have been faster. But as she breathed in the early morning chill, she smiled. Looking at the people around her, and how she now belonged here, made her absolutely jubilant.

To her surprise, she bumped into Freedert, Elliot, and Kyle, with Mio fuming beside them. They were just outside the subway station.

"I can't believe all of you went to help prepare Riku and Dark's date, and I wasn't even invited!" Mio was complaining to the longer-haired blonde.

Freedert tried to placate the young woman. "Mio, you were busy manning the boutique. We couldn't just pull you away from your _job_; you're the manager."

Elliot noticed Riku first.

"Good morning, Riku," he greeted amiably.

She smiled and greeted him back. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Mio called Freedert earlier about wanting to meet over breakfast before the boutique opened, and Freedert let slip about your date last night. As you can see, Mio is not too happy," Kyle explained, gesturing towards the bickering women.

The two blondes finally noticed the extra company, and rounded on the auburn-haired victim.

"How did it go?" Freedert asked.

"I can't believe you called Freedert and not _me_!" Mio wailed.

Trying to appease her distraught employer—they were attracting looks from the morning commuters—Riku replied, "Mio, I knew you were busy at the boutique, it was a Sunday! And I didn't know she'd bring along Towa and Emiko!"

"Hey now, don't push the blame onto me, Riku!" Freedert cried out. "You needed all the help you could get—speaking of which, how was your date?"

As the blush settled onto Riku's cheeks, both blondes' grins widened. Forgotten were their animosities, and together they rounded on Riku.

"Did… _it_… happen?" Mio whispered conspiratorially. Freedert gasped excitedly and jumped up and down on the spot.

"N-no, nothing happened!" Riku spluttered. "Stop jumping to conclusions! It was a nice night, that's all. He was called back into the office."

Freedert frowned. "How could he let that ruin your date? He was off duty!"

Riku waved her off. "It doesn't matter, I'm going to his office now; he called later last night that he wanted me to come in."

"Oooh," Mio waggled her fingers. "He wants to see wittle Riku again after their hot and steamy night together."

"Mio!" Riku cried in exasperation. She couldn't win against these women. Shaking her head, she made her way past the group.

"Well, I'm heading over there now. Have a good breakfast!" Riku waved at them and hurried up the steps. She had wasted a lot of time talking to them.

As she waited behind the yellow line for one of the trains to take her closer to the Police Department, she hummed silently to herself. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet; perhaps she should phone Dark and ask him if he wanted her to pick up anything for the both of them?

That sounded like a good idea. But as she was unzipping her bag to pull out her cellphone, a rough shove from behind her sent her tottering forward, on the verge of falling onto the tracks.

Heart beating wildly, she whipped her head around to see who had rudely pushed her, but before she could see anyone she was shoved further by someone's hard shoulder, and she felt herself falling.

Her hip landed painfully on one side of the tracks, her hands scraping against the rough floor. There was a large gasp from above as people murmured about what had just happened, then a scream from farther along the platform as some women saw that she had fallen.

The women were illuminated, their eyes clearly reflecting their shock…

Realization dawning, she whipped her head around to see the train coming, and her head spun.

Just a few minutes ago she had been trying to get away from Mio's dirty insinuations, Freedert's pestering… why was she at the bottom of the subway tracks? She stood up quickly and tried to grab hold of the edge of the platform, but the tops of her fingers could barely grasp it. She jumped and felt her palms grip the side, but then felt herself falling again. The train was still speeding toward her…

Finally some people from the platform got over their shock and went to help her up, but their sweaty hands weren't enough to pull her completely up, and as she looked to her left towards the oncoming train, she knew she wasn't going to make it, not half-dangling here.

She kicked her legs, and felt open space below her.

Well, _duh_.

Struggling to get the people's hands off her, she shouted, "Let go!"

Panicking, they did, and she dropped to the floor again. Quickly rolling into the space beneath the platform that served as a shelter for any who fell, she felt the whiz of the train pass by, its breaks echoing loudly through her ears.

She wasn't sure what was happening up above. She had barely escaped being flattened by the monstrous machine next her, which appeared to her to have stopped abruptly and unnaturally. Riku deduced that the conductor had no doubt seen her and tried to stop—but of course, couldn't stop fast enough… and lucky for her, she had found this nice hole to roll into to avoid being run over.

Some screams and crying were heard above, as a gaggle of voices were talking and shouting. Finally some authority-like voices were yelling instructions, telling everyone to stand back.

Well, Riku's innards weren't splayed everywhere, so they would have to know that she hadn't been hit. But what if they thought that she had been smashed between the tracks and the train's wheels? That didn't make a very pretty image…

She decided to shout out her location. "Help! Down here!"

She heard heavy footsteps up above her, as voiced tried to discern where she was.

"I'm in a hole here, stuck beside the train!"

She heard voices tell her to remain where she was—which she thought was oddly funny, because where else could she go?

Then she heard the screeching sound of wheels moving along the track slowly, slowly, and it occurred to Riku that she had never realized how long a subway train really was.

Then she saw it, the tracks which she had hit her hip on, and fresh air. She climbed out of the whole hesitantly, watching the retreating train warily. Voices above her moved her gaze to the workers in blue, their gloved hands reaching out to her.

Not really knowing what she was doing, her head was still dazed, she took their hands and they hauled her up, their strength more than the feeble attempts of the people before. When she was seated completely on the platform, she saw a group of medics rushing toward her, holding boxes of what she assumed were first-aid kits. They asked her questions, where she was hurt, and she vaguely remembered gesturing towards her hip and hands, where they stuck a cool patch on her hip and bandaged her hands.

She didn't know how much time had passed, only that there were still a lot of people around her, and that the crowd was still watching from afar—the same crowd as before or just a walking horde, she didn't know; this was a subway station in Tokyo, after all, and many people had places to be. However, she soon registered the distraught faces of Mio and Freedert, and she saw that her friends had come.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Freedert cried.

"Are you okay, Riku?" Mio had her arms around her.

Elliot and Kyle were standing behind them as well, their faces anxious.

"We heard something happening across the street; people rushing in and out of the subway station," Elliot explained. "We never imagined that someone had fallen onto the tracks!"

"We came as soon as we heard," Mio said breathlessly, hugging Riku closer to her. "We didn't know whether or not it was you, but…" She leaned in closer to Riku's ear, and whispered. "But I had a hunch."

It was determined that Riku's fall had been an accident; she had been jostled by the crowd of morning commuters and fell onto the tracks. Mio insisted on going with her to the Police Department, to inform Dark about what had happened. Freedert, Elliot, and Kyle agreed to open Mio's Boutique for her.

As Mio led Riku to a taxi instead, she murmured under her breath, "I told you Riku… Accidents don't just _happen_."

* * *

Risa could not deny it. She was in _love_.

The beautiful skin, eyes like amethyst jewels, hair as vibrant and luscious as her own (which was a good thing, since Risa liked to brush her own hair)…

For a moment she forgot her mission, until her troublesome companion broke her wonderful trance.

"Dark! Long time no see," Krad announced jovially as he strode inside the room in front of Risa.

Risa thought he was rude; he didn't even stop to open the door for her.

The mauve-haired beauty had been in deep conversation with another officer, and looked up upon the blonde's loud outburst. His face showed his surprise.

"Krad, what are you doing here?" Dark got up off his chair and walked around his table to greet his friend.

Risa noted how nicely he wore his uniform. Clean, unwrinkled, crisp. He looked like a man with power. _Very nice_.

"Oh, I didn't tell you I was stopping by to help you with this case?" Krad's innocent question did not fool anyone.

"You told me a relative of the missing person would be coming by," Dark responded. His gaze landed on Risa, who turned a bright shade of pink.

While Risa was busy internally debating what she should say to make a good impression, Dark took in her features. There was no doubt about it, this woman was related to Riku. They had the same chins, and their eyes were shaped similarly. The hair colors were different, of course, and their noses not exactly identical, but the resemblance was there.

Dark didn't know what to feel. He had finally found a woman who liked him for him, and whom he liked as a person. This family from her past… would she take her away from him? (Unbeknownst to him, Risa's last wish would be to distance herself from Dark.)

"Miss?" Dark addressed the chocolate-haired woman.

"Risa," she said. "Risa Harada."

Harada. So the copy of the ID on his desk was indeed of Riku. Riku Harada.

Dark gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.

"Please, sit down. Krad, tell me more about this case."

And for the next half hour, Risa explained her situation. Dark listened with rapt attention, growing more somber with each passing minute. Riku's amnesia was still a mystery, but there was no doubt about the dangerous waters she had been treading in. It was a miracle that she was still alive and well.

"Well?" Risa asked, impatient to get started. "We can find her, right? She was on her way to Tokyo. I don't know if she went anywhere after here, but this is the only clue we have."

Dark chose his words carefully, so as not to startle the young woman.

"I know where Riku is." He kept his expression level, and watched the brunette intently.

It took a moment for both Krad and Risa to register his words. Their reactions were simultaneous.

"Huh?"

"You do?!"

Dark addressed Krad first. "You've met, well, you've seen her."

He waited until the light bulb turned on in the blonde's head.

"You mean she was the girl you took out to dinner at old man Miyamoto's?" he exclaimed incredulously.

Dark nodded.

Risa watched the exchange curiously. "You two have seen Riku?"

"I spent the last month with her," Dark told her.

Risa processed this information slowly. So her twin had met this handsome man already… and she had spent the last month with him. She wasn't sure what to feel; jealous or relieved.

Relieved, of course. She was looking for her missing sister! This was supposed to be great news!

But she _was_ still single at twenty-four…

"Where is she now?" Risa asked.

Dark's eyes alighted on the wall clock behind them.

"She should have gotten here thirty minutes ago." He frowned, pulling out his cell phone. He called her, but got her voicemail instead.

"I'm not sure where she is right now, but you should know something about—"

The door slammed open and Mio stumbled in, panting heavily and dragging an also-winded Riku behind her.

"Dark!"

"Mio!"

"**Riku!**"

Before anyone could move, Risa had jumped out of her seat and rushed to her twin sister.

Riku, completely out of breath from Mio's frantic rush to get to Dark's office on the 23rd floor that she had refused to wait for the elevators and opted for the stairs, was taken by surprise when a woman with long hair jumped her and knocked the remaining breath out of her.

When she could finally breath, however, she smelled fresh rosewater and was reminded of a very pink room, decorated smartly with plush bears on almost every surface…

Ribbons and frills, tears and ice cream, long brown hair all over the bathroom floor because Risa liked to brush her hair multiple times every day…

Risa.

"Risa?"

The woman hugging her only held on more tightly, and Riku realized that her shoulder was wet. When Risa sniffed, Riku knew that her sister was crying.

She hesitantly raised her arms to wrap around Risa, and soon Riku found herself crying as well, because she knew how long it had been since she had seen her twin and because she remembered their childhood, remembered their parents, remembered their love, remembered… other loves…

Slowly, Riku pulled away from Risa, and looked at her. Risa took some time to wipe the tears from her eyes, and thanked Mio gratefully when the blonde offered them tissues.

"What are you doing here?" Riku asked, cleaning off her own face.

Risa inhaled sharply, disbelief marring her features. "What-what am I _doing_ here?! I'm looking for _you_, Riku! Do you know how worried we were? You go off on some mystery chase, not telling _anyone_ where you're going, then leave me this cryptic message that I might not have _ever_ gotten if I hadn't looked into your room—"

"But you would have looked in my room, because you're always borrowing my things."

Riku didn't notice the significance of the silence after her statement until she looked around and saw all the stunned faces around her.

Risa broke down into fresh tears again.

"Yes—_yes_—you're right, of course I would have looked in your room!"

As Mio helped Risa calm down again, Krad handed Riku the white envelope that she had apparently left Risa. She read the letter, but none of it made any sense to her. When had she written it? Who had she written about? Why had she come all the way back to her hometown in Japan to search for something?

"I don't understand." Riku looked at Dark for assistance, but he was only staring at her evenly in return.

"What do you mean you don't understand?" Risa asked, throwing away her used tissue. "You're the one that wrote it! Tell me right now why you are here and not at home, and why you haven't contacted _anybody_ about your whereabouts!"

Riku could only look perplexed. This was her twin sister but… what else? "I'm sorry, I don't remember."

Risa's look of disbelief and anger was interrupted by Dark.

"Riku has amnesia."

Risa whipped her head around to look more closely at her twin.

"You don't… but you know who I am!"

Riku looked at her sister and knew that her facial features were familiar; she had grown up with this woman.

"I don't know how; when you hugged me, I smelled something familiar and I remembered…"

"But you don't know anything about the letter you wrote to your sister before you left?" Dark asked.

Riku shook her head.

"How did you get amnesia, Riku?" Risa looked around, hoping for answers.

"According to the doctors, they found me at the scene of a bad car accident."

Dark turned to address Takeshi, who had been standing quietly near the wall.

"Do we know who the driver was?"

Surprised to be brought into the conversation, Takeshi stuttered. "Uh—um, no. I vaguely recall receiving a case about a hit and run a few months ago, but that was deemed untraceable since the car was a stolen vehicle and there was no other person around the accident. The car was also totaled, seeing as it had fallen off a short cliff."

Mio gasped. As everyone looked at her, she grabbed Riku firmly by the shoulders and shook her vigorously.

"I knew accidents didn't just happen! Riku—this is the third time then!"

"What's the third time?" Dark asked sternly.

"Today—just now, Freedert, Elliot, Kyle and I met Riku at the subway station. Not too long after parting ways, Riku was pushed onto the tracks!"

Risa was about to ask a question, but was interrupted by Krad.

"Was the train coming?"

"Just about, I think. Fortunately Riku found shelter under the platform." Mio gave the auburn a serious look.

Despite his poker face, Dark was quite concerned. Riku's amnesia was caused by an apparent hit-and-run (the running being the driver), and she had been pushed onto the subway tracks earlier today, just as he received news that she was actually a missing person.

"Who pushed her?" he asked.

Mio shifted uncomfortably. "That's the thing—no one really saw who pushed her. The officials deemed it an accidental shove or something; the platform _was_ pretty packed… but how is it that Riku fell today of all days? I don't think it was an accident, Dark!"

Takeshi spoke up from his corner. "If that's the third time, then what was the second time?"

"It wasn't actually anything serious," Riku said, looking around and trying to calm everyone down. They were treating her situation too seriously; everything was just a coincidence. "A flower pot fell from one of the outer windowsill gardens and just happened to land in front of me. I'm sure the sill was just unstable."

"_Right in front of you, Riku_!" Mio exclaimed. "And it would have hit you right on the noggin' if you hadn't dropped your keys right before it!"

"It sounds like someone is after her life," Krad mused from his seat.

"Gee, thanks for sounding so worried, Osaka Director General," Mio glared at the other blonde.

Krad raised his eyebrows. "I'm just saying, these sound like coincidences to me. Sure they share a commonality in endangering our dear little lady's life, but they sound like they could happen to anybody. Anyone could have been under that flower pot, and anyone could have been shoved off that platform. And perhaps the stolen car from the accident wasn't really stolen. Perhaps the driver was just really guilty about hitting a pedestrian that he ran away from the incident and reported the car to have been stolen."

The room was quiet as everyone contemplated Krad's words. The man had a point, and his logical reasoning could not really be argued with.

Dark turned to Takeshi. "Go find out when that driver reported his car as stolen. If it was before or after the accident."

Takeshi nodded and walked swiftly from the room.

"Well," Krad stood up from his seat and clapped his hands together. "It seems like Miss Risa's missing person case is solved. She has found her lovely twin sister and it would appear that no further investigation is necessary."

Mio and Dark spoke at the same time.

"Her life is obviously still in danger!"

"We still have to investigate the serial murderer that Riku was supposedly researching about when she came to Japan."

Krad looked from the spirited woman to the serious superintendent-general.

Not knowing what else to say, he simply said, "Okay."

"Miss Mio." Everyone looked to the long-haired brunette who had not spoken up for a while. "You said you were at the station with your friends."

The blonde nodded. "My sister Freedert and her boyfriend, Elliot, along with their good friend Kyle."

"Kyle… Kondou?"

Mio nodded again, surprised. "How did you kn—"

The door burst opened and Takeshi strode in quickly.

"The car had been reported stolen three days prior to the accident."

Risa looked from the brown-haired officer to her twin sister.

"Riku, Kyle was your boyfriend back in America."

* * *

I apologize for the large gap between updates! I fully expected myself to have completed this story before school started for me, but again I overestimated my abilities. (For a quick update, the last two weeks were my first few weeks of moving-in/college and it was great. :))

I would have written during the week, but I realized that I am writing-shy… meaning that I can't write when someone else is in the room. I just feel way too self-conscious.

But anyways, hope my mystery wasn't too obvious, ahaha. This is my first time writing … mystery/suspense? And I'm afraid my planning wasn't too good; I didn't even complete the whole story before uploading my chapters, and thus there might be some misinformation somewhere. I'll go back and check though. :) (If you find any inconsistencies, let me know!)

Good news! You will not have to wait long for the next two updates—that's right, this story will end at nine chapters because… that's how I originally planned it. I think.

Thanks for your reviews, they really boosted my self-esteem and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! They were also really good gifts to receive during my week away from home (I'm dorming!), so thank you thank you for your feedback. :)

After "The Amnesiac" I'm planning on rewriting Aura first then Amusement (oh look, all A's!), so if any readers were interested in those… yay! Coming soon~

Cheerios!

Rika


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